Through Hell and High Water
by Star-Stallion
Summary: 5th in the Nilmé Series. Out on a hunting trip with Elladan, Elrohir, and Hallataulë, a freak and unforeseen flood threatens to take Estel away before his time... and Legolas with him...
1. The Water Hole

**=D Yep! I'm back already! What can I say? I missed you all... ;-) A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO WISHED ME A HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I had a wonderful time! =) Thank you all for reviewing too! It's seems like all of you beloved repeat readers were going nuts for this one!**

**So, HELLO to anyone who is new to the series! Previous titles are:**

**-= Hope and Greenleaf =-**

**-= An Inseparable Duo =-**

**-= Fight Your Fears =-**

**-= Woes of the World =-**

**and**

**-= Red Sun Rising =-**

**Please read Red Sun Rising before reading this fic. This is because A LOT of things in this instalment were set up in that. I'd also recommend you read all of the others as well, just so you can keep track of all the original characters. There are very important ones (like Hal) and some merely fairly important ones (like Tebridë). They're all important _somehow_ anyway... ;-)**

**Oh yes... in regards to an email about chapter 9 of R.S.R from Karrie, and the review from Dha; thank you both for pointing that out to me! I've now fixed that. ;-)**

**So, grab some popcorn, sit back, and relax, because here comes the traditional chapter... after all, it wouldn't be much of a story without one, eh? ;-)**

.: Chapter One :.

The scene was calm and serene; birds twittered chirpily in the leafy green trees, the sun was making its way merrily across the sky, and the clear water of the water hole was gently rippling quietly to itself, the large grey rocks reflecting on its surface.

It was _perfect_...

"WHOOO!!!"

A tall, skinny, dark haired boy in short trousers leapt off of the largest rock, brought his knees up and bombed into the water with an incredible splash. The resulting wave rushed outwards and splashed up the bank, soaking two irate Elves.

"ESTEL!" they roared in unison.

Estel's head broke the surface. "Sorry Dan, sorry Legolas!" he called, treading on water without difficulty. He was enjoying himself immensely. The past few weeks in Rivendell had seen very hot weather, which was expected to last another month or so. He'd felt like he'd been _dying_ in the heat, unlike his family and friends who hadn't really noticed it, so this chance to come swimming was a relief.

Suddenly, a pair of arms shot out from under the water and pulled him down. As the human sank, Hallataulë emerged from underneath, laughing his head off. After a couple of seconds, he allowed the boy to swim back up.

Estel splashed the eldest Mirkwood Prince. "Don't _do_ that!" he spluttered.

Hallataulë splashed him back. "Do what?"

"Do _that_!" replied Estel. The Elf suddenly grinned mischievously and dunked him under again.

As the pair bickered, Legolas rolled his eyes.

"_This_," he stated sarcastically, pointing to Hallataulë who was howling with laughter. "Is to be ruler of our Kingdom one day." He shook his head in mock despair. "We're doomed..."

He and Elladan laughed.

The youngest Prince was sitting with his feet in the water, watching. He wasn't allowed in the water with his still healing stitches, but he'd be damned if he wasn't going to get _a little_ wet today.

Elladan, however, was forbidden completely from even _contemplating_ getting wet. A crisp white bandage was wrapped around his injured ankle, therefore wrecking any chances of him being able to swim. After the bad breakage, the bones were healing quite nicely and now he could walk gingerly on it, though not too far, and Elrond reckoned that it wouldn't be long before he'd be 'up to his old tricks again'... before hastily adding that that may not be such a good thing...

"Well, _this_ is fun," sighed Legolas, kicking his feet in the crystalline pool. He gazed longingly out at his brother and best friend having fun.

"Well, at least we're _outside_," said Elladan. "Imagine how poor Ro feels..."

Elrohir still hadn't recovered enough from his bout with a deadly poison a month ago for him to be up and about, even though he insisted he was perfectly fine. As a result, the poor Elf had spent the past four weeks cooped up indoors...

-=-=-=-

Elrohir stared at his fingers. They were covered in black charcoal dust, and he sighed. Elladan had given him a book with blank pages and charcoal to keep him amused. Of course, they'd kept it a secret from their father; if Lord Elrond had seen the state his patient was getting into with it, he'd have banned those weeks ago. It just simply wasn't _hygienic_...

He had now managed to fill the entire book with drawings in just four weeks. After scrutinising his latest creation with a critical eye, he had shut the book over and placed into the drawer in his bedside cabinet. Then he had noticed his mucky fingers.

Eyes darting towards the door sneakily, Elrohir slowly lifted the cover of his bed and wiped his hands clean on the sheets. He smiled knowingly to himself. 'Ada will never know...'

He was _supposed_ to be sleeping; resting so that he could regain his strength, but the truth of the matter was that, firstly, he felt fine, and secondly, he was so unbelievably _bored_ that he would probably burst into tears at any moment. Unsurprising then, that sleep wasn't _quite_ at the top of his agenda.

One part of his mind was telling him that he would not be so bored right now if the others were all here to keep him company. He shook that thought from his head though; it had been _him_ that had told them to go off and enjoy themselves for a day anyway. They had all been trying far too hard to keep him cheery and it was nice to get some peace and quiet on his own.

And, all the silence had aided him in concocting his master plan. He went over it one more time in his mind... 'Yes, that should work...' he thought.

Hearing the door handle rattle suddenly, he quickly lay down on the bed, pulling the cover over himself and turning on his side. He then half-shut his eyes and pretended to be asleep.

Elrond entered the room. He set his medicines down on the small bedside table and shook Elrohir gently. "Wake up ion nin," he whispered.

Elrohir pretended to blink himself awake. "Oh... quel amrun Ada," said, yawning loudly to enhance the effect. [good morning father]

"How are you feeling today?" asked his father. Elrohir suppressed a grin; this was what he'd been waiting to hear.

"Well, _actually_ Ada, now that you mention it," he began innocently, twiddling the sheets in his fingers. "I'm feeling a lot better now! In fact, I think I'll probably be able to go back out with the others soon-"

"Well, we'll see about that," interjected Elrond. Elrohir nodded. He knew agreeing with his father would get his father to agree with _him_.

"- Yes of course, but my point is; I've been thinking."

"Oh really?" asked Elrond absentmindedly, as he flicked the base of a thin, blown-glass tube.

"Yes! Ada, I have a-" He was abruptly cut off as Elrond popped the small contraption in his mouth.

"Keep that underneath your tongue," said the Elven Lord flatly as he continued his routine. Elrohir rolled his eyes and sat, arms folded, as the glass stick read his temperature.

It was quite an ingenious invention actually; the small blob at the end in his mouth was filled with a heat-sensitive liquid which would rise up the thin tube depending on the temperature under your tongue, but it annoyed him to no end, because it meant Elrond could easily tell when they were sick or not.

After a minute or so, Elrond removed the stick from Elrohir's mouth. "Ah; 36 degrees Elrohir... that's wonderful! No more temperature..."

Elrohir nodded innocently for a second time. "_Truly_ Ada. Now, as I was saying; I have an idea. It would be awfully nice to get out of the house once all this is over with, and I was considering a small, tiny, miniscule, short, _non_-_life_ _threatening_-"

"Please get to the point Elrohir," said Elrond flatly.

"A hunting trip."

Elrond looked at him suspiciously. His son was still recovering from the last time they'd went on a hunting trip... was this such a good idea?

Well, Elrohir _did_ have a good point... he hadn't been out of the buildings in weeks. Plus the larders and pantries were quite low...

"Alright Elrohir, I suppose you can go..." he began. Elrohir's face brightened.

"_But_," continued the Elf Lord. Elrohir's face fell again. "_First_, you have to wait till you get better, and _second_, I don't want any of you going beyond the border patrol, understood?"

Elrohir was speechless for a moment. 'Well _that_ was unexpected...' he thought, amazed. He'd expected to have to try and persuade Elrond for a lot longer than that! Then his tongue came back to him, and he beamed. "Hannon lle Ada!"

As Elrond left the room, he stopped and cringed. 'What have I done?!'

**Do you have _any_ idea how difficult it is to describe a thermometer without actually _calling_ it a thermometer?! Phew! Actually, I really enjoyed doing this chapter; I laughed a few times writing it, and even though it's not brash, in-your-face humour, I hoped you found it amusing too... hmmm; I've just noticed, I always seem to make the first chapters quite light and sometimes even humourous, and then everything suddenly just gets dark...**

**Cool! ;-) Lol!**

**This first chapter was dedicated to my best friends; Becky (who inspired Elrohir's drawing obsession in this chapter ;-D), Becca, and Hannah, for making my birthday the best one ever... THANKS GUYS!!!**

**Please R&R! It means a lot to me!!! =D Oh, and if anyone can remember how to get into the Highly Recommended section, could you please tell me? ;-) Thanks!**


	2. Secrets and Memories

**Mornflower****; I HAVE to tell you this!!! Right, I was reading your review and just happened to glance at the top of the page where the adverts show up, and guess what it was for? NADS NO HEAT HAIR REMOVAL... LOL!!! Right on the same page as your review!!! That just made my day!!! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Deana****; Ah, about that... have a look at my 4th author's note paragraph!!! ;-)**

**Estel****; Aye, I is back, innit?! LOL, soz, I had Drama today... I LOVE THAT SONG SO MUCH!!! I could watch that trailer again and again... it's so cool! sobs Why can't MY trailers be that good?! I did have a great b-day by the way, and I did get your text, but I got so many I couldn't reply to them all!!! -smirks- What can I say; I'm a popular person...**

**galadriel**** evenstar****; Thanks! ;-)**

**Faerlain****; YAY! I'm glad you thought Hal was hilarious... I love him to bits! I'm seriously mulling over doing some original writing using him as the main character... what do you think?**

**Mellaithwen****; Ooh!!! Hope your ankle's better by now!!! Sounds painful...**

**Lynx Yamato****; ;-) Thanks!**

**Stoneage Woman****; I love it too!!! Lol! I don't have black hair though, mine's a nice brown colour... very shiny... I don't necessarily think of myself as pretty; I leave that up to whoever's looking, lol! I'm happy with myself though... I'm sure you're VERY pretty! ;-)**

**leggylover03****; LOL! You're really desperate for that Estel pain, aren't you?! D Well, don't worry... its coming soon... :-)**

**Terreis****; Yup, poor Ro! Another 6 words no-one in Imladris wants to hear... "Ada, eh, someone's _slightly_ hurt... -walks in with someone pouring blood- Yeah..." LOL! ;-)**

**Shadowfaxgal****; Thanks! Ooh, sounds sore! Poor you! ;-)**

**Dha-Gal****; -narrows eyes- You're never going to let me live that down, eh? Lol! IT WAS A GODDAM TYPO!!! -breaks down- **

**ELROHIR: Jeez... someone's stressed...**

**A title for you? I don't really know... any ideas?**

**shadowfox8****; Lol!!! Thanks! ;-) Happy belated b-day! Ok, thanks; I'll remember that...**

**Astievia****; That's the same with me; I need something to listen to while drawing, even if it's just the telly on in the background to make some noise... it's weird! Thanks for the compliments!**

**Lexial147****; Thank you! -blushes- Ok, I'll check it out... ;-) **

**AND FOR ALL OF YOU LUVERLY REVIEWERS... AN OFFICIAL A/N!**

**Yes, I'm back again... I must say; if you sent me a review last chapter and there's no reply to it here, I'm VERY sorry; ff.n seemed to have screwed something up and there were some reviews not being sent to me and some sent but _eaten_ on the site... I've tried to get everyone... -sigh- Bloody website...**

**ALSO I APOLOGISE FOR THE LATENESS OF THIS CHAPTER!!! My computer had troubles... aka. refusing to connect. No emails, no Internet, no nothing... :-' Bloody thing...**

**In case you haven't noticed, I'm in love with the word 'bloody' at the mo...**

**Oh! hits forehead I forgot!!! Most of you readers are American, aren't you?! Sorry about the temperature mix up in the last chapter! . YES; I meant 36C! I don't know Fahrenheit you see... sorry about that! You see, I checked on the Net and it said the normal human body temperature was 35C. I decided to make it one more in Elves because... well, they're not humans, are they? Exactly... ;-)**

**Enjoy... I got a little carried away length-wise with this one... :-'**

.: Chapter Two :.

Later that evening when the three Elves and Estel returned from swimming, they immediately went to visit Elrohir. The younger twin was bursting with eagerness to tell them of the good news.

"...And he said 'yes'!" he finished, grinning brightly. The others were equally as pleased, and they were just discussing their plans when the door to Elrohir's room suddenly burst open with a bang.

Tebridë strode into the room with all the anger an Elven maiden could muster (which was actually quite a lot) and scowled at Hallataulë and Estel, who were still dripping water.

"_Look_ at that floor!!!" she hissed, pointing at the puddles they were standing in. "I just _cleaned_ that floor!"

"And it was shiny enough to eat off of Tebridë," said Hallataulë, a cheeky glint in his eye. He instantly regretted it as her eyes narrowed and she approached him steadily. Elladan and Elrohir exchanged glances; they knew what this meant. After all, Tebridë had helped raise them as Elflings... they knew _this_ scenario very well...

"Three people have slid on the little water trails you've helped to leave _Prince_," she spat. "Myself being _one_ of those three people." She paused, deliberately letting the tension rise. She took some pleasure in seeing Hallataulë shrink back a little. Now, as her face gradually turned a shade of purple, even he knew this wasn't going to be pretty...

"NOW GO AND GET IT CLEANED UP BEFORE ANYONE ELSE DOES!!!" she screamed suddenly. The twins and Legolas had to hold back their laughter as Hallataulë blanched before running to fetch the mop. Then the furious She-Elf rounded on Estel.

"YOU TOO!" she bellowed. Estel quickly followed Hallataul's trail.

A snicker from Elrohir brought Tebrid's attention to those left in the room. She glared at them, putting a stop to their laughter like water quenched a fire.

"You three are lucky you are injured or you'd be scarpering _just like them_..." she warned darkly. Then, with a quick turn on her heel, she stalked out of the room, barking orders to Estel and Hallataulë who were now slaving over the floor, cleaning their mess.

Elladan, Elrohir and Legolas just about managed to hold their composure to allow the door to click shut before bursting out laughing.

"Ow!" groaned Legolas, though still half-laughing. He rested his hand across his stitches. "Being here _has_ to be a hazard to my health..."

Elladan wiped tears from his eyes. "Why is it that Hal is always guaranteed to get on Tebrid's bad side whenever he's here?!"

"Maybe she likes him?" suggested Elrohir jokingly. The other two Elves suddenly stopped laughing, looking at him with a mix of horror and disbelief. "What? It was a joke!!!"

Elladan wrinkled his nose. "Can you imagine Tebridë and Hal together?!"

There was complete silence for a moment. Well, _almost_; apart from Tebrid's voice still echoing down the passages noisily.

It was probably the audible whisper from Hallataulë that they heard which caused them all to shake their heads and chorus the same word. "No!"

The evening was warm as the sun set over Imladris. Little did anyone know that trouble was just around the corner...

----

Estel groaned as he woke up for the third time that night. Even with his shirt off, the heat was practically unbearable, and the sheets of his bed which he now lay on top of instead of under were sticking uncomfortably to his back.

His dry throat tickled mercilessly. There was just one small problem though. If he went down to the kitchens, and was caught, he'd probably receive a tongue lashing akin to the one he'd received earlier. Tebridë could be terrifying when she wanted to be...

He could be quiet though, stay in the shadows. Finally unable to ignore his thirst any longer, Estel forced himself up and staggered over to the door of his bedroom. He couldn't be bothered to put his shirt on again; it was far too hot for that.

Opening the door quietly, he looked both ways down the corridor, keeping a sharp eye out for any flickering candlelight, before venturing out.

His bare feet pattered against the marble floor, its coldness soothing him, feeling pleasing against the hot and stuffy night air. He was so hell-bent on getting that drink which he so desperately needed he did not notice the figure in the shadows, watching him.

He opened the door to the kitchens and peered around the corner, ensuring that Tebridë wasn't stalking the room before walking in. The room was empty, filled with a silence that was strangely homely and, dare-say, cosy. A beam of moonlight shone in through the window, lighting his intended path. He immediately made his way over to the water tap.

Grabbing a cup from the side, he licked his lips. He pumped the tap quickly and the clear water splashed as it filled the cup. Estel drank it greedily, draining the cup before beginning to pour out some more.

"Thirsty are you?" said a voice behind him.

Estel choked on the water in his surprise and began coughing. Elrond quickly walked over and rubbed his adoptive son's back.

As he did so, the Elven Lord noticed with some despondency the scars that decorated Estel's back. They were but a month old. Elrond knew not of the full horror that his sons and their friend had seen under the Orc Captain Garvorg's brutal hand, but he knew it had been terrible.

Estel's coughs subsided and he regained his breath.

"Are you alright Estel?" asked Elrond. Estel nodded.

"That's what I hate about Elves," he commented sarcastically. "They have an annoying habit of sneaking up on people..."

Elrond laughed. "Well, people aren't usually wandering the corridors this early in the morning!"

"Is it my fault I can't sleep?" asked Estel innocently.

"Well, we'll see about that," replied Elrond. He chuckled as Estel yawned loudly. "I think someone ought to be getting to bed..."

Estel scowled. "Ada. I'm sixteen years old..."

"And to me, you are still a child," said Elrond quickly. He began to gently usher Estel, who was yawning again, out of the kitchen, a fatherly arm around his shoulder. "Come along now."

Estel couldn't help but agree though; he _was_ still very tired, even if the heat was unbearable. He rubbed his weary stinging eyes and began to ascend the stairs when he noticed that Elrond looked at him with a troubled expression on his face.

"Something wrong Ada?" he asked. Elrond seemed to shake himself of whatever was distracting him

"Estel... make sure that when you all go... make sure you all stay safe, alright?"

Estel nodded. "Don't worry Ada. We'll be fine."

With that, he turned back and headed up the rest of the stairs back to his bedroom. Elrond watched him, hoping his son was right...

----

Time seemed to pass dreadfully slowly for the five. Each day seemed to be hotter than the last, and they found themselves visiting the water hole more frequently than normal. The best event of those plodding days was that Elrohir was now allowed to join them in their activities (although he was banned from leaping like a lunatic off of the great rock for a few more weeks), though that did nothing to hasten the hours.

And then, far too sudden for Lord Elrond and the other healer's liking, the dreaded, or for some _wonderful_, day arrived. The twins had managed to wake the entire household hollering for their friends, and Legolas and Hallataulë had caused equally as much trouble doing a final check on their supplies. How it was possible to be as bright as they all were at five in the morning was beyond most of Rivendell's inhabitants' level of comprehension.

As Estel packed the food bags, a task he actually greatly enjoyed due to the fact that he was able to steal a few treats for himself, the two Mirkwood Elves were busy executing yet another 'final' check on the supplies... for the third time that morning.

Elladan plonked another pack by them. "I _think_ we have everything; we did the last three times you checked..."

"No harm in being cautious!" replied Legolas, looking down his nose at the older Elf. Hallataulë bit the inside of his lip to suppress a laugh; Elladan was much taller than Legolas, creating a comical scene.

Elrond watched all of the exchange, rolling his eyes. 'I'd better double check those medical supplies...' he thought ruefully. If this was how the entire trip was to go then he would seriously consider an extremely long break to Lothlorien...

"Well Ada," said Elrohir, looking about himself. "I think that's us!"

Estel came bounding down the steps holding the food bag, stuffed to the seams. "I agree! Come on, let's go, quick!"

Legolas laughed. "I know you're desperate to go Estel, but we don't have to rush off!" Estel grabbed his arm and pulled him aside.

"No; we _do_!"

Legolas looked at him, bemused. "Why?"

Estel looked back towards the kitchens nervously. "I _think_ Tebridë is getting suspicious of me."

Legolas sniggered. "Ooh, _someone_ is in trouble!" Estel's nervous look seemed to grow worse.

Elrond approached the party, sighing. "Well now... what did we agree?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No Orcs..." said Legolas, remembering his part on the list.

"No Wargs..." replied Elladan.

"No going beyond Border Patrol..." continued Estel.

"No moronic actions... that means you Hal!" laughed Elrohir.

"And no getting into trouble!" finished Hallataulë, before adding, "And Ro – you might be my best friend but I don't have to forgive you for that... I... Am _not_... Moronic..."

Elrond finally gave in completely. 'Well, I suppose they're as ready as they'll ever be...' He simply raised a hand towards the gate, pointing. Sly grins crept over the faces of each, and they quickly headed off, led suspiciously hastily by Estel, into the forest.

Elrond didn't notice Tebridë until she coughed accusingly behind him. He turned to find her glowering, tapping an impatient foot against the stone.

"Lord Elrond," she said, sounding utterly at the end of her tether. "I _believe_ someone has been poking their fingers into my sugar..."

----

Later, when they had been wandering for hours, Estel posed a question.

"What exactly is the purpose of this trip?"

Elrohir shrugged. "To catch some game I guess. That's what most hunting trips are for Estel..."

The other Elves snickered softly.

Estel suddenly looked at his brother with an air of superiority. "Well, _I_ haven't seen any game yet, _Ro_..."

Elrohir was instantly quieted. "Oh..."

Elladan looked up at the sky. The sun was setting in the sky, casting the shadows of the trees far across the litter of leaves on the floor, blending the colours of the sky together like an artists brush stroke.

"I think we'd better stop for the evening. We can look a bit more tomorrow, agree?"

"Alright then," said Hallataulë, pulling his pack off of his shoulders. Legolas followed suit as did Elrohir and Estel. They would get some rest (their early morning had tired them out more than they cared to admit) and carry on the next day...

----

He was in a peaceful sleep when suddenly something wet and cold hit his face softly. Elrohir blinked himself awake.

The first sight to greet him that morning was a dreary grey sky from which fat raindrops were gradually beginning to fall. The Elf groaned. It looked like the heat had finally cumulated in what looked like was going to be a _very_ heavy storm.

Rolling over to see if the others were awake, he was somewhat surprised to see that everyone was still asleep. He'd already known that Estel was still sleeping of course; the human denied that he snored but the whole of Rivendell could account for it. Elladan, Hallataulë and Legolas were still contentedly dozing though.

Legolas seemed to have entangled himself in his blankets; one arm was draped lazily over his head, thin hand covering his face whilst the rest of his head was hidden under the woollen covers. One foot, still in his boot, stuck out at a strange angle at the foot of the bedroll. In contrast, Hallataulë was lying perfectly still on his back, covers neatly draped over him.

The rain began to fall harder now, and Elladan was woken by it also. This gave Elrohir the chance to ask who had been on watch. Elladan thought for a moment, trying to remember what they'd decided last night.

"I don't actually think we set a watch..." he replied finally. "I'm pretty sure we agreed to all get some rest seeing as we're inside the area of the border patrol."

A yawn suddenly attracted their attention.

"Mind keeping it down a bit?" groaned Hallataulë, rubbing his eyes. "Some people are still trying to sleep..."

"I seriously doubt that," said Elrohir, crawling out of his bedroll. "Haven't you noticed the rain, or does it simply deflect off of you _wonderfully_ _special_ _Mirkwood_ _royals_?"

Hallataulë shrugged his shoulders. "Now Elrohir; the green of jealousy doesn't suit you..." Pulling the covers off of himself and grabbing the pack which lay by his bedroll, the blonde Elf quickly pulled a cloak out of it. "Typical you Ro; choosing a day when it's tipping down..."

Elladan simply looked at his younger brother and his friend. "I'm surprised that Legolas and Estel are still sleeping..."

Hallataulë smirked. "Dan; Legolas is a lazy sluggard, surely you've worked _that_ out by now?" Fixing the brooch of his cloak comfortably, he strode over confidently to his younger brother. He shook his head as he took in the strange position the Elf had ended up in whilst sleeping. "How on Arda does he _do_ that?" Shaking the thought from his head, he leant over quietly tapped Legolas lightly on the cheek.

"Come on _Thent_, up you get..." he whispered. Shorty

Legolas blinked blearily and groaned. "You're enjo-" He paused to yawn. "...enjoying this, aren't you?"

Hallataulë grinned, a darkly amused expression on his face. "Of course I do; I'm your _brother_..."

A loud groan from Estel's bed let the Elves know he was awake.

"Peace and quiet is an unknown quality to you blasted immortals, isn't it?" he grumbled. Then he grumbled about the rain... before he returned to grumbling about Elves. By the end of it all, Hallataulë was on the verge of stuffing one of the human's holey socks into his big mouth...

They each packed away their things, grabbing a quick bite to eat from the food pack, though Hallataulë could be sure that Estel seemed to have more than they did ('Oh well... perhaps it's a human thing?'), and generally chatting amongst themselves. As Estel finally shoved his bedroll, which had insisted on rebelling and springing open continuously, into his bag, Elladan piped up.

"I think we'd better find somewhere to get out of this rain," he said pulling his cloak further around him. It was plain to see everyone agreed.

Estel shivered and pulled up his hood. "I'll have a look a little way on; stay here and I'll come back and tell you if I find anything." He immediately strolled off through the trees.

Elrohir rolled his eyes. "Never mind telling us where you're going..." he sighed. He was gradually beginning to regret this idea...

----

Estel was pretty sure this area of Imladris was familiar. If he was right then it should still be here...

Years ago, before he'd met Legolas or Hallataulë, when he was young and imaginative, he'd found somewhere he'd called his 'secret place'.

Clambering up a hill, he suddenly slipped. Estel ignored the mud now covering his hands and knees and continued to climb. This _had_ to be the right place...

He could remember chalking little drawings on the walls in his boredom, sometimes even drawing children his own age; people he could talk to, confide in, tell his secrets. These friends would never turn away or be to busy to listen. They were always there.

A shadowy corner at the top of the hill was covered in vines. Estel's brow furrowed, remembering. Approaching the twisted plants slowly, he raised his hand and pulled them away. The sight that greeted him made him smile with fond memories.

His secret place...

----

"Shouldn't we follow him?" asked Hallataulë, concerned that the twins were quite content to let Estel wander off.

Elladan, sitting casually on a tree stump, shook his head. "Don't worry Hal; we're still miles within border patrol. Estel knows his way around, he'll be fine."

Elrohir, comfortably positioned on a convenient fallen log, smirked. "Yes Hal – you're not in Mirkwood at the moment..."

A superbly aimed lump of mud hit the younger twin on the head. Elrohir scowled at a now far more cheerful Hallataulë...

Hearing a muffled noise, the Elves turned to find the human returning. They all rose from their seats and walked towards him, noticing Estel look mighty pleased with himself. "There's a cave up ahead. We could stay in there until the rain eases off."

Elladan and Elrohir nodded in agreement, and Legolas saw no problem with the plan. Hallataulë however stopped dead in his tracks.

"A c-_cave_?" he sputtered suddenly, his eyes wide.

The party turned to him, confused. Legolas touched his older brother's arm gently.

"Are you alright Hal?" he asked. Hallataulë looked at him, and for a brief moment, Legolas saw a flash of a cold fear in his eyes; a distant memory that had sealed its place in time and in his memory, inerasable, using it's stinging, icy grip to cool a once fiery, passionate soul for eternity.

And then it was gone.

There was complete silence within the group. Too late did the twins realise they had touched on a tender subject. Hallataulë swallowed thickly, eyes now lowered to the floor. His hair covered his face, hiding it, the rain soaking the long blonde tresses, dragging them down, rendering his expression unreadable.

Hoisting his pack onto his shoulder, Hallataulë cleared his throat and began to walk. He didn't look at anyone; not the twins, not Estel... not even Legolas. His voice, when he did finally speak, sounded strangely cracked and forced.

"Let's go..."

**Please R&R! And you'll find out what's up with poor Hal later on... I hope you liked Estel's 'secret place'; it's going to be quite important later on in the series...**

**Jeez, that was a damned long chapter... you'd BETTER have enjoyed it!!! Lol! ;-)**


	3. Hell and High Water

**Deana****; :-) Here's some more for you!**

**kel****; ;-) Thanks for reviewing!**

**Astievia****; Ah; common sense reigns once more...**

**LEGOLAS: What's that then?**

**-sigh- I spoke too soon... LOL! Yes; I can think of a lot worse words than bloody... maybe I should say that to my teachers; maybe they wouldn't have such a go at me if I mentioned worse 'Unspeakables'... WOW!!! I WANNA TAKE A BOAT THROUGH THE DRIVE-THRU!!! Why do they spell through like that though? Thru... very strange... I'm glad you liked the long chapter! I hope you're in the mood for another, as this is one MONSTER of a chapter...**

**Terreis****; Ah, good question! My answer to that is; it depends what the reviewers want! So, do people think Tebridë and Hal are a good match or not? Now THERE'S something to ponder...**

**ARAGORN: I'm a bit busy with this thank you! –pulls at Chinese finger trap-**

**Where the hell did he get that? o.O I love the crazy way Legolas sleeps too; I'm actually in the middle of doing a drawing for that which is quite funny! ;-) LOL!!! I can imagine that... **

Middle-Earth Getaways! _Are you in need of a LOOOOOOOOOONG vacation? Then look no further! Take a long weekend to the Shire; a peaceful, rural country, or if adventure is more your thing, why not try our special package holiday to Rohan, home of the Horse Lords? PERFECT for over-burdened Elven Lords.._

**LOL!**

**Mornflower****; LOL! Isn't it just?! ;-)**

**galadriel**** evenstar****; Ok! Angst in this chapter for you! –hands over angst on a silver platter- Enjoy! But don't let everyone else know; it's supposed to be a surprise! ;-)**

**Mellaithwen; YAY! –celebrates long chapter-ness- :-) Hey, I've just realised... you're ankle's like Elladan's! o.O _Scary_!!!**

**Stoneage Woman****; I could say the same thing! :-) WOW! –realises that we have WAY too much in common- AAAAAH! o.O Separated at birth OR WHAT?! Actually, I say bloody absolutely everywhere... school, home... church... o.O Oops. Shouldn't have mentioned that last one! ;-)**

**Estel****; LOL! You scared me for a minute there... Sidetracking? You're the Mistress hun... woah... imagine if a character literally _grew_ on you?! o.O GAH!!! Jeez; I'm thinking about this Halloween stuff WAAAAAAY too much...**

**Manders1953****; DUDE!!! Of course I say dude! ;-) WORSHIP THE DUDE-INESS!!! Lol! Meh; I'd say it was a combination of the two, but I'd probably lean more to the brotherly-teasing bit... ;-) DUDE!**

**Lindele****; LOL! Don't worry; he glares at me constantly... ;-) You'll find out a _bit_ about what's wrong with Hal this chapter! Read on to find out more!**

**elfobsession2931****; Thanks! ;-)**

**Dha-Gal****; Curse you Dha, _curse you_... :-S DROP THE EYEBROW THING NOW!!! –starts begging- _Please_?!**

**ELLADAN: Now THAT is a sorry sight... STAR! STOP KISSING HER FEET!!!**

**Sorry. :-( BUT, your review made me laugh!!! ;-) LOL! Have fun Ranger-Boy... –grins evilly- BWUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!**

**Lexial147****; THANK YOU!!! :-D**

**Faerlain****; Yay!!! I wanted Hal to be cool; he's going to be featured in A LOT of stories from now on! :-D Why is he afraid? Well, 1) You'll find out soon, and 2) Quite basically, I was fed up of Leggy-Pops always being the claustrophobic one... –grins evilly-**

**shadowfox8****; -blushes- I'm pretty sure I'm not THAT awesome; I'm just a regular writer on here... but thanks anyway! :-) I know; I always find the beginning hard because you have to hook your reader somehow, and then I always hate the endings. I always find it hard to end a story the way I'd like to, it often takes me a lot of tries! **

**I like showing the bond between Legolas and Hal; it's just fun to do! I wanted to give Legolas a brother, and more importantly one who was _older_ than him, so Legolas could have someone to look up to and learn from. People with an older sibling often find themselves looking to that sibling as a role-model; something that both characters are going to find out throughout the series. I hope you enjoy this chapter; it's the one everyone's been waiting for!!!**

**Shadowfaxgal****; I hate homework. We should start a petition against it!!! -blushes- You're just saying that! :-) Thank you for the short but sweet review!**

**--------**

**Jeez... sorry for the wait guys; this has been the most difficult chapter to write!!! –kicks chapter, annoyed- Darned thing...**

**I'd like to mention something quickly. Someone asked why I didn't say that I'd written Gilraen out of the story... who said I had, or hadn't for that matter? –grins twistedly- I have 33plus stories up my oh-so-big-sleeves people!!! I still have a lot more tricks left...**

**Also, BLOODY FF.N is still insisting on removing the ë from Hal's name when followed by 's. It did it with Tebridë last chapter too. If anyone knows a way of getting around this, please tell me!**

**Oh; the song below actually belongs to me. My friends and I are starting up a band and, bored one night, I just wrote this. I was reflecting on Hal's feelings at the time (which you'll see in this chapter) and this is what came out... see, I don' tell them ALL my songs are based round my fics and not the other way round... they'd probably send me to rehab if I did... ;-) It's only the chorus, but if enough people ask to see the full thing, I'll put it in the next chapter... _italics denote flashbacks_!**

_I'll just keep the real me safely locked away,_

_Despairing, hide my soul from light of day,_

_And all the while I'll fix a false façade,_

_Wear a fragile mask and build a barricade,_

_As long as I look happy on the outside..._

_You'll be ok if I look happy on the outside..._

On the Outside - _Mannix_

.: Chapter Three :.

Hallataulë hung around nervously at the cave mouth, unconsciously picking at his nails. His eyes darted around, trying to pick something out in the darkness. He really didn't want to be here...

_Come on little whelp..._ whispered the voice in his mind. _Come... or are you too afraid?_

He jumped slightly at the light touch on his forearm. "Hal, come on," said Legolas reassuringly, smiling a little. He did not know that those words made his brother's soul freeze over just that little bit more.

They were both getting completely soaked; the rain plastered their hair down around their shoulders as the dark green Mirkwood tunics they sported, crafted of a rich royal velveteen-like fabric, became darker and darker in the spots where the fat watery droplets soaked through.

Elrond's children waited for them patiently in the mouth of the cave. Elladan was seated on a large rock, rubbing his sore ankle which had begun to throb again. Elrohir simply stood silently.

Whilst the twins; though anxious for their friend, naturally; had dealt with this in the past, Estel was concerned - he'd never seen the eldest prince like this before. It was a new and discomforting experience for him, seeing someone usually so strong-minded and spirited in such a timid state. The young man didn't like it one bit...

----

At the foot of the valley of Imladris lay a small dam built of sticks and branches. It had been made the previous winter to hold back some of the dangerously rising waters to protect the few homes close to the riverbank. It had done its job well, having been constructed by the Elves, and still, months later, those waters were still being kept at bay.

However, over the period of hot weather, the twigs had dried and cracked, the branches split and rotted; the once secure dam could not hold much more.

As the rain continued to fall accompanied by thunderous applause from the sky, the water level rose again. This time though, it was simply seeping through all of the gaps. Unrelenting, the downpour caused the water to rise to dangerous levels...

No-one noticed as the churning liquid began to wash down the valley, picking up speed as it headed on its destructive path...

----

Legolas watched his older brother carefully as he tried to find a spot close enough to the mouth of the cave that he could have some peace of mind but would not get soaked. This in itself was a difficult task, not in the way that it was hard to do but simply irritating.

The wind had picked up some speed, blowing towards and into the cave; not only did it freeze their fingers and make the cave cold and uncomfortable, but it also seemed to delight in their misery due to the fact it was blowing in most of the rain water at them. It seemed that the only remotely dry area of the cavern was right at the very back.

The younger prince was concerned. As Hallataulë finally accepted that he would get soaked wherever he sat, he chose simply to slump in a soaking wet puddle of water. He was probably thinking that it was bearable as long as he wasn't in the dark.

Legolas had the older Elf's thoughts pinned down _exactly_, though he did not realise it. Hallataulë watched the lightning streak across the sky outside, lost in contemplation while the voice inside his head continued to taunt him.

_So it's finally come to this..._

Thranduil had asked, nay, practically _begged_ for him just to talk about... _it_, to him once.

_You should have given up on yourself a long time ago..._

He had refused.

_Pathetic, worthless piece of dirt..._

But that was a long time ago.

_The Crown Prince of Mirkwood resorted to slouching in a muddy puddle in some cave. How fitting..._

He couldn't let them know. He _couldn't_... he was the Crown Prince; the Heir to the Throne... a role-model to his little brother and a source of pride to his parents. No; they simply weren't allowed to know...

"Maybe you should get some sleep Hal..." said a voice beside him. He turned sharply to see Legolas standing there.

Sleep really was the last thing he wanted. He still remembered what had occurred the last time he tried to get some rest in this kind of mood. "We've only been awake a few hours-"

His younger brother cut him off quickly. "I know, but it might be better for you... you know; to take your mind off of things."

Hallataulë had to admit, he saw the reason behind Legolas' thinking. If he was sleeping then he wouldn't have to remember where he was at the moment. He could always wake again if his dreams showed him the past; a past of which he was so bitter. He slowly allowed his mind to wander, and his eyes glazed over in a restless Elven sleep.

"Is he alright?" asked Estel quietly. Legolas shrugged.

"I'm hoping so," he sighed. Looking back over to his now sleeping brother, he frowned. "You know, he never talks about it, to anyone; not even Ada or Ama. All we know is that he was caught by men and hurt. That's all he ever said; nothing more."

"Maybe he just needs more time?" suggested Estel.

"I guess..." said Legolas. "I just wish he'd let us help him; he bottles it up... and then..." He trailed away, staring at the ground.

"You know, I sometimes blame myself?" He allowed a small laugh; a giddy, almost delirious sounding little chuckle that worried Estel more than what he'd just said.

"If it wasn't for me," continued the Elf. "If they hadn't had to go to Lothlorien because of me. I guess they should have seen it coming; I was able to cause trouble before I was even born." He shook his head.

Estel was wondering where this was headed. He didn't like the faraway look in Legolas' eyes. He knew that the prince was remembering something, but _what_ was a different matter.

"Ada told me once that I was a difficult birth and that was probably what made me such a difficult-to-handle infant," said Legolas. There seemed to be no emotion in his voice; a flat monotonic speech that seemed to be of no real significance unless you were to really listen to what he was saying.

"Mirkwood had been attacked quite recently by some vicious Orcs and the medical rooms were full to burst with soldiers and civilians who had been hurt. We had barely enough healers to cope with them. Ama was due to have me in a few weeks."

Ah. _Now_ Estel knew where this was headed, and unsurprisingly, he still didn't like it.

"Ada, being the quick thinking Elf that he is, decided to send her to Lothlorien. Hal... well, he was so desperate not to be separated from Ama that he insisted on going with her. Then, about halfway through the journey, their party was attacked. The guards tried to protect both Ama and Hal, but the fact that most of the Royal Guard were still back in Mirkwood having wounds tended meant that there were hardly any on the trip."

"Obviously Ama was their main priority, being the Queen and with child, whilst Hal was a very close second. They tried, but it was no use. Hal was separated from the Contingent and taken... that's about all I know, except that it took almost two months to find him." Legolas stopped suddenly and looked at his friend, blue eyes full of regret and hurt. "_Two months_ Estel! _Two!_ I don't know how, but they managed it... but Hal; he was never _really _the same. He says that he's fine, but even I know he's not. And that's my fault."

That was it; the deciding sentence. It was what Estel had been thinking, and he was right. Legolas was harbouring guilt over what had happened to Hallataulë, even though he'd had nothing to do with it.

"It's not your fault Legolas," said the teenager. "Hal would never want you to think that."

Legolas opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by a terrified scream...

----

_A rough hand pressed the side of his face against the sharp rock, which grazed his cheek sharply. Hallataulë shut his eyes; the pressure was hurting old bruises and cuts already – he couldn't breathe. He had already consigned himself to his fate; either someone would have to come and save him or he would die here. They would kill him._

_"Kormed, release him. We just want to hurt him, not smash his skull in!" barked a gruff authorative voice._

_Suddenly, the rough hand was taken away from his face and the young Elfling was allowed to drop back to the ground. He slumped wearily against the wall, gasping for breath._

_Kormed spat at the Elf, glaring at him. "When I tell you to shut it, you obey, alright?!"_

_Almost having his head knocked in had been a punishment for crying too loudly. Hallataulë had lost count of the number of days he had been there, wounds burning and smouldering like a hellfire; trapped in a small cave with no way of getting out, no hope of escape._

_The walls were so close... the air so heavy and thick... and hot..._

_The man who had just shouted at Kormed was huddled over the fire. He seemed to be doing something there, but Hallataulë couldn't tell what as his back was to him. The human's name was Madros, and he was one of the worst types of men; quietly vicious, a sly, cunning parasite of a man... and, most dangerous of all, he was intelligent. It was a bad combination for the young Elf who'd had the misfortune to be captured by Madros' gang._

_"I have a surprise for you rat," called Madros, laughing to himself. Hallataulë felt his breath catch in his throat. He knew what Madros' 'surprises' usually entailed..._

_Even so, the Elfling's eyes widened with cold dread as a branding iron, the tip glowing a fiery red, was brought into his vision. Kormed grasped Hallataul's shoulders from behind and held him fast. The Prince writhed and struggled, but it was no use; he could feel the heat radiating from the iron as it was brought slowly to his bare skin..._

Hallataulë woke up suddenly, pulling hard away from the hand on his forearm. The elf did not realise it, but his panicked cry whilst dreaming had alerted the attention of the rest of the group. He shunted back quickly towards the wall, pressing against it.

A soft voice tried to soothe him. "Hal-"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!!!" he cried. All he could remember were Madros' gloating eyes, filled with some sort of filthy thrill as the iron had touched his skin... memories of the pain, the heat... burning... the smell as _he_ burned...

The elder Prince felt his breath coming quicker than it should have done. He could see spots dancing in front of his eyes along with images from the past; knives, blood, the cold unfeeling darkness of the cave... those _eyes_...

A voice called him urgently yet calmly. "Hal! Hal, calm down. It's alright, you're safe. We're here... just be calm..."

Hallataulë tried to control his breathing, but it was just so hard! He could feel himself shaking.

Another blanket was draped over him and someone held his shoulders gently yet firmly.

"Hal, it's me, Ro."

Elrohir suppressed the shock that coursed through him as his friend's wild haunted eyes met his. Hallataul's eyes had been darting around the room, somewhat unfocused, but now all he was greeted with was an empty blank expression; a glazed over look; and no sound save the Mirkwood Elf's ragged gasps.

The younger twin had to keep to his plan though, ignoring the swelling panic. He had only ever seen Hallataulë have one panic attack, and as they had been by themselves it had been up to him to help his friend. That wasn't a happy memory...

"Hal?" he said again, slowly, looking his friend in the eyes. "Listen to me. You're alright. We're in Rivendell, remember? You're with your friends and family; Legolas is here, and Elladan and Estel and I. Just us, no-one else, understand? There's nothing here to be afraid of..." He held a water skin to Hallataul's mouth and tipped it gently, letting the Elf drink small sips at a time.

Hallataul's breath slowly came easier to him, much to the relief of everyone. As the Elf's chest became less tight and his head spun less, the adrenalin began to wear off and he felt more tired than usual. But he knew that he was safe. That was all that mattered.

Elrohir knew that he had some medicine in his pack that may help, and so he asked Estel to stay by their friend and keep an eye on him. Estel obliged more than willingly and knelt by Hallataul's side.

"Hal?" he asked gently. The Elf blinked momentarily before recognition came to his eyes.

"Estel... it's only you... only you..." He swallowed thickly. "That's good..."

The cryptic reply only served to confuse the teen.

Legolas faced Elladan. "Dan, we have to go back to your father."

Elladan shook his head. "I don't think that's wise Legolas. The storm; it could be dangerous, and anyway-"

"No!" said Legolas, a little more forcefully than he'd wanted to sound. "We've got to get out of here; think about Hal." The younger prince felt guilty about putting Elladan on the spot like this; he knew that, being the oldest of them all, Elladan often took the blame or accepted more responsibility for all of them than he really should, but he had no choice. The most important thing to him at this moment was Hallataulë.

Hearing his friend's words, Estel looked up from his place by Hal's side, before taking another look at the shaking Elf. Now that he knew Legolas' real feelings about everything that had happened, he felt that Legolas, though often wrong in matters like this due to his natural hastiness in a situation, was for once right in his judgement. "I agree with Legolas on this one," he said with an air of finality.

Elrohir nodded; a rare display of one twin going against the other's thoughts. "So do I."

Elladan had to admit defeat. 'Three against one, Dan, and you're the one losing...' he thought. To be honest he could see the sense in Legolas' statement. It was more than plain to see that Hallataulë wouldn't be able to stand being in here much longer. For him to suffer a panic attack revealed there was no choice in the matter; through the years he and Elrohir had known him, Hallataulë had been steadily improving in the many years since his ordeal. Something, probably the claustrophobic aura of the cave, had set it off again. This was a marked decline.

But there was a risk in going out in this weather. Elladan knew that there were dangers; lightning strikes, possibly mudslides... who knew what else. It was either stay here and try to keep his friend calm, which seemed extremely unlikely given the circumstances, or take their chances in the storm.

Lightning streaked through the sky suddenly, lighting up the other four in the room. In a split second he was able to tell exactly what he had to do.

"Alright," he admitted finally. A look of relief broke on Legolas' face. "We'll go back. We can cut through the lower part of the valley, near the dam; that will get us back quicker."

So it was that they packed up their things and, despite a niggling thought of protest at the back of Elladan's mind, headed out into the storm... unknowingly headed straight into the churning path of the wall of water...

----

They had been walking for about an hour, all of them soaked through. None of them had spoken a word since leaving. Perhaps it was better that way; he didn't know, but the silence was discomforting. Even the howling wind and whipping of the rain in their faces did nothing to instil the want to converse in them.

Hallataulë felt so much better now that he was in the open air again, but one look at the agitated scowl on Elladan's face made him feel guilty once again.

"Elladan," he began tentatively. "I... I'm sorry that-"

"I've told you Hal, you don't have to apologise," said the dark haired Elf. His words were kind enough, but his tone was somewhat sharp. He knew by the look on the prince's face that he'd hurt his friend somewhat, but right now, if he was totally, truly honest, he didn't care. He just wanted to get home.

Elrohir was going to chide his twin over the tone he was taking but thought better of it. Elladan in a mood was bad enough, but a _soaking_ Elladan in a mood was even worse. And anyway, standing upright on the hill slick with mud was using up all of his power of concentration.

And Elladan was certainly in a bad mood. He was annoyed with Legolas for coming up with the stupid idea of leaving the cave; he was annoyed with his brothers for siding with the younger prince; he was annoyed with Hallataulë too, even though he had no real reason to. The person he was _most_ infuriated with, however, was himself; simply for being angry at everyone else. What an 'everybody-loses' situation he was in now...

Estel slipped in the mud of the hill and slid straight to the bottom. Legolas rolled his eyes and quickly followed his friend.

"Are you alright?" he asked. The human nodded.

"Muddy, but fine," came the reply, accompanied by a wink.

"Nothing broken?" questioned Legolas cheekily, helping his friend up.

"Legolas, please. I only slid down a hill-" began Estel, but Legolas cut him off.

"Yes, but it's difficult to tell with you; you're a complete accident prone..."

As the three older Elves reached the foot of the mound, Elrohir rolled his eyes.

"Typical messy human..."

In fact, Estel's minor accident was the ice-breaker Elrohir had been waiting for; the awkward silence between them all had been too over-bearing. He couldn't help but notice though that Hallataulë and Elladan still seemed to be giving each other the cold shoulder.

They were all so busy either fussing over Estel or ignoring a certain member of their party that they'd had no idea of the impending danger that was crashing down on them. Now it was too late...

Suddenly the roar of water filled their ears. Elladan's eyes widened. The dam must have burst!!!

"Quick, get in the tree!!! Now!"

Elrohir managed to navigate the twisting turning branches first, quickly followed by Hallataulë. Elladan managed to clamber up the first few, but then a piercing pain shot through his bad ankle suddenly. He'd been told not too exert it too much, but at the moment it couldn't be helped. Hallataulë momentarily forgot that he was at odds with the elder twin, and with Elrohir's help, the two Elves grabbed his arms and pulled him up.

Legolas swung up into the branches, climbing swiftly in order to join them. It was then they heard a panicked cry from below.

Estel was frantically trying to climb up as fast as the Elves, but his less agile human body was slower than theirs. Legolas dropped down a few branches and lay on the branch precariously. One small tip either way and he would fall.

"Estel, give me your hand!" He reached down hastily for the human. Just as Estel grabbed his hand, the stormy waters rushed into the clearing.

The icy water hit the back of his legs first, and then suddenly washed straight over his head. Estel didn't even have time to draw any breath as he was pushed under by the current.

Legolas still had a grip on his friend's hands when the swirling dark water suddenly claimed him. Suddenly thrown off balance, the Elven Prince fell from the branch he'd been clinging to and tumbled into the rapids too.

Hallataulë made a grab for his little brother, but his arms wrapped around thin air. He could only watch in horror as Legolas splashed into the water and disappeared from sight.

"LEGOLAS!!!"

Elrohir looked at the swirling waters with wide grey eyes which darted about, scanning all of the rippling choppy surface hoping beyond all hope to catch a glimpse of wither his brother or his friend.

That hope did not come.

'No...' he thought, shaking his head. 'No!!!' Beside him, Elladan was facing the same turmoil.

Hallataulë wanted so desperately to know where the two friends had suddenly gone. It had all happened so fast. It was like waking from a terrible nightmare... only this was reality.

And it was all his fault. If he had not been so frantic earlier, if he had not suffered from his cursed weakness, they would all still be in that cave, safe... trapped; yes, that much was true, but they would be safe.

He cursed the fear which made his blood run cold, cursed his failing at trying to protect his younger brother and his friend.

'You've failed them both...' he thought.

A sudden sensation came over him. Perhaps if he were to follow them, he could make up for his mistakes; they might forgive him, and, more importantly, he would be able to forgive himself. After all, he was stronger than both Estel and Legolas at swimming...

"HAL, NO!"

Elrohir was just able to shake himself from the grip of shock to see his friend dive in after them...

**And I'll think we'll leave it there for now... –grins evilly- Hee hee hee... Bloomin' Nora; 11 pages of writing!!! –refrains from fainting- Ok Mellaithwen; you're my official Chapter Length Measurer - did that beat the previous chappie? ;-)**

**Like I said, I'm seriously considering using Hal as the main character in an original story, but I would like some ideas as to what sorts of things people would like to see. I don't want to do the usual cliché stuff... obviously I'm going to be changing our dear prince's background a little as I don't want to plagiarise the Master (Mr Tolkien of course!) but I'm talking more about plot ideas... I have lots of little baby plot bunnies that need feeding up... who knows? Maybe if I fall in love with the result, I might consider trying to publish it... but THAT, dear readers (and lurkers! I KNOW YOU'RE THERE!!!) is up to you... ;-)**

**Oh. And if he doesn't drown himself first of course...**

**And if anyone's remotely interested, I got the 2 flashback villians' names off of a menu for an Indian restaurant... basically, they're named after a chicken Korma and a dish called prawn in Madras sauce... -sigh- Don't look at me like that dear readers... you would do the same if you were starving...**


	4. White Lightning

**emandm****; ;-) I'm glad that bit made you giggle; that's what I was hoping for! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Deana****; Yup! Ok, here's the next chapter for you! One thing I've noticed; you're always one of the first people to review this! Even if I put a chapter up at some ungodly hour (I'm typing this at 11:30 at night btw, probably the time I'm finished it'll be about 00:30...) your review always pops up before I go to bed... :-D And it's very nice too!**

**Mellaithwen****; LOOK, if your stomach was growling and you happened to look at the Indian menu that was resting for some unknown on the computer desk, WHAT would you do?! –punches air- YES!!! –does the patented Mistresses of Evil Victory Dance- Longer than the last! WOOT! Ouch! Your poor ankle... -snort- Sorry, but I had visions of a certain Welsh female falling through an unseen hole in the floor... and now you've hurt your hand too! –huggles Welshie- Poor you! How old was Hal? Probably about 8 in human years, not too decided on that yet... he was young anyway. Yeah, I LOVE ANIME! It's just a pity that they don't do much of it over here; it's a dream of mine to go to Japan one day and bulk buy all of their English dubbed DVDs... –evil grin-**

**Terreis****; You're DETERMINED for that pair to get together, aren't you?! LOL! :-) Ok, ok!!! I give in!!! I'll see what I can do for them... well, that is assuming I'm going to let Hal survive of course. I can never make any guarantees over O/Cs you know... LOL! You're right! Did you know ****Orlando**** has 2 self-confessed fears; one of fangirls and the other of technology; he's a complete technophobe!!! I read it in a magazine... Oh well, at least that guarantees he won't be reading these stories; he can sleep easy at night!!! –evil laugh- He he he...**

**Rae132****; YES, THEY'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!!!!!!!! No, I'm just messing with you! ;-) No! Hal is quite bright (LOL! Puke coloured crayon!), he just isn't very good at showing it... Lol! Yes, I agree; those things DO always happen to them in my stories... except the Warg bit, that hasn't been done by me yet... –lightbulb turns on- Ooh! PLOT BUNNY ALERT!!! -evil grin-...**

**Mornflower****; Lol! No, you didn't sound pushy; I've had worse!!! –remembers death threats and riots over 'Orcs!'...- :-S Yeah... lol! ;-)**

**Stoneage Woman****; Same here! Chicken is one of my favourite things to eat... -sigh- I could never be a vegetarian... Woah! I'm not surprised you're confused... ;-)**

**leggylover03****; LOL! That deserves the prize for the Most Subtle Hint of the Century... ;-)**

**Lexial147****; Thanks dude! ;-)**

**kel****; Aaaw; Dan wasn't being mean, he was just grumpy! ;-) Lol! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Celebdil-Galad and Tinlaure****; Thanks! :-D I take it you like Hal then, yeah? ;-) Ooh, that sounds like a case to keep Hal alive if I've ever heard one! 8-. Ok then, I'll see what I can do about keeping him alive and kicking then! ;-)**

**shadowfox8****; I hope you enjoyed what you read! :-D Oh, of course you can borrow Hal! -blushes- That's very flattering of you to ask! I'm quite happy for anyone to borrow him just as long as they give credit for him to me. Your summary sounds really interesting; GO FOR IT!!! :-D I can't wait to read it! Post soon!!!**

**varda101****; LOL, yeah; it's cruel of me but I get more fun that way!!! –evil grin- Ah well, you know what Shakespeare said; "The course of true love never did run smooth." Hal and Tebridë may yet get together! :-) That _is_ assuming he survives this story though...**

**Fox-Demon-Girl****; -blushes- Thank you!**

**Dha-Gal****; Don't throw ducks at them!!! I LOVE ducks!!! –huggles a random duck- Ducks and sheep; I'm going to buy loads of them when I grow up, I LOVE THEM!!! :-D LOL, killing the villain would be so much easier if we just threw them at Ro; his hard head would do the trick...**

**ELROHIR: Hey!**

**... is for horses Ro, that's right! :-) Lol!!! You'd BETTER drop the eyebrow thing!!! LOL!**

**Astievia****; I know what you mean. One time, my mum took me to the library round the corner (Thanks God for handy near-to-house-book-ieness!), parked the car, walked up the big ramp, and took me inside. We were in there all of 15 minutes. We walked out and were greeted by a totally flooded car park. It was up to my thighs!!! Let's just say, I had _very_ soggy trainers that day... ;-) Cool! I haven't heard of that band, but I'll try and check them out if they ever come over here... Oh, thank you! -blushes- I've just decided to delve into the world of song writing; it's hard, but sometimes you can really hit the nail on the head with the right lyrics and music. LOL, that's a bit hopeful, eh?! ME, rich and famous?! –shakes head- I can't see it happening... even though I'd like it. Thanks for the review though!**

**Celebrean****; -ducks numerous acorns- You gonna watch where you throw them?! –mountain of acorns falls on Star-**

**LEGOLAS: Ooh! -winces- That one hurt her...**

**Aya-Shoru****; Thanks! :-D**

**----**

**Oh; I don't know how many of you know this, or if I'm just REALLY behind it all (lol! Probably...) but I've just found out what Gimli says in the FOTR EE to Haldir when they're standing on the flet for which after Aragorn hits him... "Ishkhaqwi ai durugnul...****" which means (ready?); "I spit on your grave..."!!! scowls Naughty Dwarf... lol!**

**Sorry for the long wait for this chapter; I'd been writing it and then didn't like the way it was going, so I changed it. I'm sorry that this chapter isn't too long, but I'm sure you'll like it anyway. I'll make it up to you next chapter, I promise. It was just that this one was so difficult! **

**Oh, and also, in order to combat the Evil FF.N Robber's fondness for stealing poor Hal's ë when it's followed by a 's, I'm just going to leave a space between those letters. So please don't point it out to me. _I already know_. I did it on purpose!!!**

**And so after one of LOTR's many mysteries is solved, I give you...**

.: Chapter Four :.

His world was a blur of dark blue and pale bubbles that flew around him. Estel would occasionally catch a glimpse of something _only just_ recognisable; a leaf caught up in the thundering water, the ground, or was it the dark sky, in fleeting moments as he was spun in circles by the strong current, or sometimes his own two feet.

His lungs, starved of air, burned like a red hot fire; the complete opposite of his suddenly frozen body. Estel floundered wildly, hoping beyond hope to reach the surface and have some respite from his watery nightmare, however fleeting it may be.

His prayer was answered, and Estel gasped in a quick breath of air before he was dragged under once more. Just as the terrified beating of his heart felt as though it was about to burst, an agonizing pain tore into his left shoulder and he struck his head hard. The last thing that he noticed before he lost his feeble grip on consciousness was that he had stopped moving...

----

His arms were flailing, his body naturally trying to keep his head above the water. Legolas was lucky that it was though, for his mind was too numb to grasp what to do by itself. He had no idea what to do to save himself.

How had he gotten here? One moment he'd been laying on the branch, trying to help his friend, the next he was drowning...

He was _drowning_! As he was pulled under yet again, his eyes widened as he realised what was to come.

"I'm going to die!"

----

Oh, he had had some stupid ideas in his time, but this really had to have been the worst. Hallataulë struggled hard, but through some measure of luck managed to keep his head above the water.

He had been blinded by guilt and the unconditional need to protect his brother and their friend. Now though, he wasn't so sure this course of action had been the best. But there was no time to dwell on that now.

In the midst of a giddy mix of confusion, adrenaline, and sheer determination to survive he saw something that made his heart skip a beat. Legolas was not too far from him, being pushed down by a wave of water that washed over his head.

The older Elf grabbed him quickly and pulled him tightly into his arms. Legolas clenched his fingers into his brother's shirt sleeve, gripping it firmly and not letting go. Hallataulë kept his arms wrapped around Legolas, hugging him close. What mattered most was staying together and surviving.

A dark shape looming up out of the gloom in front of them caught Hallataulë's attention. The blur quickly began to take form, and to his and Legolas' horror, they saw that it was a _very_ large rock.

The older Elf twisted, forcing them both to go backwards. Now he was protecting Legolas, but at a cost to himself. Hallataulë shut his eyes as he bore the full blow as they hit the rock with no small amount of force. He cried out in pain as a flame of pain flared over the entire right side of his chest, but all it emerged as was a large bubble, the water masking the sound.

And then the current pulled them under yet again, never relinquishing its icy grip...

----

He blinked awake to find himself sitting in sloppy mud up to his chest. Legolas shook his head, clearing away the thick fog that clouded it. The rain still pelted down on them relentlessly; a fork of lightning split the sky, screaming with thunder, in half. A faint pain-filled sound caught Legolas' attention.

Estel was lying against a tree, clearly unconscious. However, it was realised suddenly, heralded by another moan, that Legolas had heard the sound from _him_. All the Elf had to do was get to him.

Squirming in the mud, Legolas realised with a jolt of shock that he was actually sitting in someone's lap. Turning, he realised Hallataulë was blissfully unaware of their situation, having also been knocked out. The elder Prince seemed in a lot better shape than Estel, and so it was Legolas decided his main priority was their friend.

"Estel, are you alright?!" he called. The teenager made no reply, still slumped against the tree.

Legolas, wondering why his friend did not move, waded slowly through the muck that, when standing, reached up to his thighs. As he neared Estel, he was finally able to see his friend's other shoulder.

What he saw made Legolas gasp aloud. A sharp branch, the splintered end broken and sharp, was stuck through Estel's shoulder, which bled heavily. Legolas scrabbled his way closer to Estel, and finally reaching him, wiped his muddy hands on his tunic and checked the back of the unconscious boy's head. There was large knot at the back where Estel had hit it hard. The unconscious human groaned again.

Legolas gently shook the uninjured shoulder. He had to try and wake his friend.

"Estel? Can you hear me?"

The teen frowned slightly and turned his head towards the sound. Estel opened his eyes just a crack, blinking rapidly as he did. There was a look of confusion on his face; a bewilderment that made Legolas uncomfortable.

"Legolas?" croaked Estel quietly. As his body gradually caught up with his mind, a flare of pain ripped through his shoulder.

"Legolas," he said through gritted teeth. "Help..."

Legolas bit his bottom lip as he tried to figure out a way to get the branch out of Estel's shoulder. He couldn't pull the boy off of the branch; firstly the mud was too far up, constricting movement, and secondly it would probably make the wound worse.

He started slightly as a hand rested heavily on his own shoulder. Legolas looked up to see his brother.

Hallataulë drew a short knife, which had somehow managed to survive the flood without being lost, from a scabbard. "Legolas, hold him still. Estel; I'm going to cut the branch away from the tree and then we'll try and remove it completely, alright?" Estel nodded, breathing quickly.

Legolas couldn't help but notice that Hallataulë 's short laboured breaths and concern washed through him.

"Hal, are you alright?" he asked. Hallataulë schooled his breathing more.

"I'm fine Legolas. Just a bit tired after that... now, as I said, hold Estel still..." replied the other Elf. Gripping the branch tightly with one hand, he began to cut through the branch steadily.

Legolas winced and suppressed a hiss as Estel gripped his hand tightly.

"You're alright Estel, you're alright."

Estel simply squeezed his eyes shut even more tightly. Meanwhile, Hallataulë was just sawing through the last bit of the wood.

The knife cut through the last layer of bark and came away from the tree. Hallataulë and Legolas tried their best to shut out the cries of the poor tree as it screamed. "Amin hiraetha mellon nin," thought Legolas sadly, wishing he could end the tree's suffering. --_I'm sorry my friend_--

Hallataulë gently pulled the branch out of Estel's shoulder, trying to cause the boy as little pain as was possible. In reality, Estel was biting his lip so hard it drew blood. A look of disgust on his face, the elder Prince threw the bloody branch to one side as it came out with a sickening squelching sound. He then ripped some of the cleanest material he could find on his torn and tattered cloak and pressed it to the wound whilst Estel leant heavily against Legolas.

"We need to have this checked," said Hallataulë. "I suggest finding Elladan and Elrohir and getting back to Lord Elrond."

"Injured... again..." whispered Estel, forcing a smile.

"Only you mellon nin, and it's not as bad as last time," said Legolas, trying to keep Estel's spirits high. Last time they had encountered Orcs. He'd rather face a thousand sudden floods then be captured by Garvorg and Shardûg again.

Estel shook his head. "Not just... me..."

Legolas frowned. "What do you mean?"

Estel's eyes drifted up towards Hallataulë. "I'm not... stupid Hal. I can... see it... in your eyes..."

Hallataulë fell silent, not answering the unasked question that hung in the air. He was perfectly fine; a little winded, yes, and probably some bruised ribs; that was probably all.

Well. _Probably_...

----

Elladan clambered down the branches less than carefully. At various points, Elrohir's heart leapt into his mouth as he thought his brother would fall from a slippery branch, but the fear was groundless.

They were both still in a state of shock though; three of their number had just simply disappeared in a matter of seconds. The water began to calm just as suddenly as it had sprung upon them, decreasing in level quite quickly, despite the driving rain. Lightning slashed over the darkened sky yet again.

Elladan jumped from a low branch and landed up to his knees in mud. "ESTEL?! LEGOLAS?! HAL?!" he shouted to the wind, desperate for a reply. Where _were_ they?

Elrohir was still clambering down the branches trying to catch up with his brother when it happened. Another bolt of lightning struck, this time hitting the very tree the Elf was in. Afterwards, he could not recall the exact events too well, but Elrohir did remember that he'd been thrown backwards away from the tree, falling down into the mud below, as small fires broke out on some of the branches, and losing his feeble grip on reality as another dark shape suddenly appeared over him and called his name...

**Oh yeah; I saw Finding Neverland the other day! :-) It was WONDERFUL... an absolute tear-jerker though; if you do go and see it, I recommend vast amounts of Kleenex. I unfortunately did not heed my own advice and had to sit through the screening floating in a dinghy...**


	5. Under the Moon

**Jeez, I'm so sorry I've not been around. Life decided to throw me many MAJOR bummers all at once... which is actually an advantage to you lot as I'm in that mood again in which I can _really_ pick on the characters, particularly Legolas... –evil grin- Well, you demanded it people!**

**Terreis****; Only if he was older? Oh Terreis... poor Estel, he was looking forward to a cuddle!**

**ESTEL: No I ****wa-****! -clamps hand over Estel's mouth-**

**Quiet you...**

**Deana****; Thanks! :-D**

**leggylover03****; Good question?**** –calls to the lovely characters- Hey lads, you reckon you're going to get back in one piece?**

**E&E&L&A&H: xx**

**Guess not...**

**Angst-a-mania****; Lol, I think you got here just 1 chapter too early! :-) Just read on to find out... I mean, of _course_ Aragorn and Legolas are going to get a little... something... after all, this is their series, eh? –evil grin-**

**Mellaithwen****; If you want my recommendation for a good anime DVD, get Rayearth. They only do the OVA over here, which is still brilliant (I must admit to having a bit of a crush on a guy called Ferio... -sigh- What is it with me and fictional guys?!), but I'm ordering the first series box set from Amazon. I'll send you the trailer for it if you want...**

**not-sure-of-your-name-as-there's****-nothing-there! ;-)****; Ooh, very metaphoric! :-) I'm so glad you're enjoying the story, and you've made me feel much better with those nice comments. Ah, thank you! Just goes to prove that you can't believe everything on the internet! Here's the update for you!**

**Faerlain****; Someone who agrees with me! :-D Yes, I _know_ how protective you are of Hal, I know! Well, let's just say that he's going to cause some problems for Legolas and leave it at that... -sigh- Brothers...**

**kel****; No, Legolas didn't get hurt last chapter, but I think I can hear the winds of change a'blowing in!**

**Stoneage Woman****; Yup, another cliffie!!! I'm going to have to try and cut down on those a little... he he! Well... maybe just one more... –evil grin-**

**Estel****; YOU'RE ALIVE!!! –huggles Estel- :-D Hmmm... looks like the marriage is on the rocks! –runs and hides-**

**Astievia****; I don't know, I seem to like Elrohir more... –ponders for about an hour on the absurdity of that statement as they're identical...- I've noticed, most writers seem to portray him as the light-hearted jokey one and Elladan as the more calmer one. Strange, seeing as we hardly know anything about them, but we love the still the same! HA! I can just imagine that...**

**HAL: Estel, I'm afraid we're going to have to cut your arm off.**

**ESTEL: WHAT?! Why can't you just cut the branch?!?!**

**LEGOLAS: Harm the tree?! -glares- Estel. That's disgusting...**

**-screaming ensues as the Elves get to 'work'...-**

**Painful.**** Libraries are one of my favourite places, especially the old historic ones; peaceful, quiet, and no morons hanging about ready to rip the book from your hands, squash it in the mud and say that only geeks read (a little taste of the kind of month I've had -seethes-). The only consolation is, I CAN read – they ought to try it some time, they might actually learn something... Ah! -blushes- All I can say is, try and suppress the laughter at the funny bits! I find it hard too, but sometimes, it's just needed...**

**Celebrean****; Too many SPORKS!!! AAAH!!! –runs away-**

**shadowfox8****; Well, have fun with them!:-) Ok then, I'll take a look at your story! ;-)**

**Dha-Gal****; Well, we're equal because this chapter is incredibly late too! –removes shotgun from Ro's grip- Naughty Elf!**

**Linuvial Greenleaf****; -waves wildly in return- Linuvial!!! :-D Nice to see you! Hmm... inarticulance... no, that's not a word, but inarticulacy is! :-. Lol! Ok! I got a tablet for Xmas, so I'll probably be doing a lot more drawings!**

**Joy****; -attempts to communicate telepathically- Nope sorry, no can do. You'll have to settle for this I'm afraid...**

**Woah, these review replies are getting way too long! He! Oh well, I'm not complaining; it means I'm getting reviewers! Someone asked me why I do them; it's because I reckon that if the readers took the time to write something, then they ought to get a reply in return, at the very least! Well... enjoy this chapter because we BOTH know you've waited too long for it!**

**Oh, by the way... this chapter is a _little_ gory... but only a little...**

.: Chapter Five :.

"Ro!!!" Elladan ran as best as he could through the thick mud. He had seen a flash, heard a cry, and suddenly Elrohir was falling and the tree had caught fire. Now the still pouring rain had almost completely extinguished the flames, leaving dark smoke and a hissing sound in its place.

Elladan looked his brother over. Elrohir's hands were burnt quite badly, and Elladan was sure that the fall from the tree would probably have done something as well. With just a bit of luck, the lightning may have simply thrown Elrohir from the tree, rather than running through him as well.

"Ro? Come on, wake up!" He shook Elrohir's shoulder gently, but it did not work. The younger twin remained unconscious, regardless of the worried of his brother. Elladan pulled him up from the layer of mud and half carried, half dragged him to the edge of the where the water had ran down where the land was more firm and drier.

Laying Elrohir on the ground, Elladan swallowed and kicked at the dirt in frustration. 'Why?!' he thought angrily. 'Every time; every damned time! Everything was just getting back to normal... and then something crops up to set us all back again...'

He dropped down, sitting on a fallen tree trunk, and ran a hand through his hair. In his own opinion, life was being incredibly cruel and unfair to them all at the moment, and the thing that irked him the most was that he couldn't understand why.

In fact, the more he thought about it, there wasn't much about life he understood at all. Having thousands of years to live didn't automatically make you all-knowledgeable. He cast another glance over to Elrohir who was still unconscious. No... life wasn't fair.

Not fair at all...

----

A lone wolf's howl echoed eerily through the valley of Imladris, causing a tiny tingle to run down Legolas' spine. He had forgotten how easy it was to get lost in the woods around Rivendell. He didn't even know whether they were still within the border patrol area or not.

As they had been walking, they had found a few of their things; some scattered arrows and a pack with food which had become completely waterlogged. they were not great finds, but they could prove useful later on.

They still hadn't found what they were really looking for though. There had been no sign of Elladan or Elrohir anywhere on their travels, and it worried Legolas to no end. How far had they been swept by the water? Had the twins stayed in the tree until the water levels dropped, or had they been carried off as well? There was no way of knowing.

The three of them had been trekking for some way, but as for _how_ far? He had no idea. He was too busy trying to keep Estel awake. Hallataulë was pretty convinced that the bang on the head that the teenager had received had given him a concussion, and Legolas wasn't about to argue as Estel's lethargic actions seemed to confirm it.

Hallataulë had heard the howl as well, and unlike Legolas who had discarded it, he was more concerned. It sounded much too close for his liking. He didn't want to worry the younger two though, so he simply kept a sharp eye out for anything out of the norm.

Estel leaned heavily on Legolas' shoulder while the Elf kept an arm around him in an attempt to keep him upright.

"Are you alright Estel?" he asked.

Estel raised his head slightly and nodded. He'd been much better, obviously, but he'd also been worse. Nothing made much sense at the moment anyway, and the blurred lines of his thoughts and what was really happening were just confusing him. His shoulder throbbed mercilessly, the only true thing he was feeling right now.

A sudden hush descended, an uncomfortable silence which made them all uneasy. There was something close by...

"Hal," whispered Legolas, shifting his grip on Estel a little. "What's happening?"

The older Elf hushed him sharply and looked around nervously. "Be quiet."

Estel realised all of a sudden that there was something behind Legolas and him. Lifting his head weakly, he glanced in that direction and his eyes widened at what he saw. Two bright yellow eyes were staring directly at him.

"Le-!" He was cut off suddenly as the wolf howled loudly and sprang from it's hiding place, knocking both him and Legolas down. The teenager cried out in pain as his shoulder was jarred badly and the few arrows Legolas had left scattered all over the woodland floor.

Hallataulë whirled around and saw the wolf circling back to attack the two again. Grabbing a small knife from the inside of his boot, he threw it at the beast, striking it in the side.

The wolf growled, and spinning yet again, swiped at Hallataulë with its paw, claws gleaming with a fire all their own. The Elf fell backwards, the air rushing out of him and putting sudden pressure on his ribs. Stars danced in front of his eyes, and in his confusion he didn't register that they wolf was coming back for him. 'Damn,' he thought. 'Estel _was_ right...'

Legolas watched in horror as the wolf stalked towards his older brother, teeth bared in a snarl. A thousand thoughts rushed through his mind at once...

_You know, I sometimes blame myself?_

_If it wasn't for me..._

_That's my fault..._

Maybe now he could make up for all that...

Legolas grabbed a single arrow, raised his bow, and aimed carefully at the wolf. Pulling back on the string, he prayed it would hit the mark. The arrow struck the beast in the leg and it roared in pain. Glaring in the direction that the arrow had come from, her eyes fixed on Legolas who was desperately looking around for another arrow. The wolf's eyes narrowed, and she suddenly launched forward at the Elf.

Hallataulë shook the dizziness from his head and fixed his gaze back on what was happening. What he saw shook him.

Legolas gasped as the air was shoved out of him. The wolf had barrelled into him and knocked him flying. His bow fell from his grip and broke to pieces on the floor as it fell underneath him, and as he was shoved back, Legolas put a hand out. The splinters dug deeply into his palm. That was the least of his worries though.

Raising her paw high, the wolf sliced three deep gashes across Legolas' chest before going for him with her powerful jaws. Legolas screamed as the wolf's teeth clamped down into his arm, tearing through the skin.

Hallataulë looked around desperately for something to help his younger brother, but his knife was stuck in the side of the beast and he had no arrows or even a bow. Another cry from Legolas drove him almost to despair as he realised that he had nothing to attack with.

Legolas' panicking mind had almost given up hope when the wolf suddenly went slack. Her eyes dies and she perished there, blood gushing out from her back. Legolas was just able to take a glance at his saviour before falling unconscious...

----

_What happened, what was that noise? Where am I? Hang on..._

_Where's Elladan?! What's going on, how did I get here?! Elladan! Help me! I don't know what's going on, I- ouch! That hurts, what **is** that?_

_Wha-?..._

His eyes snapped open and Elrohir found himself lying on his back breathing harshly. He was so confused; one moment he was climbing down the branches of the tree, the next he was here. And what was that flash of light? _What_ was going on?!

"El... Elladan?"

He surprised himself with how weak his voice sounded. There had to be a reason, but there was a blank between being in the tree and now. He just couldn't remember. Suddenly his hands stung sharply again and he hissed.

Elladan had thought he'd just been hearing things when Elrohir had called his name, but there was no mistaking the pain filled hiss. "Ro!" He got up and knelt by Elrohir's side. "You're awake!"

Elrohir nodded. "Yes, and I'm also very uncomfortable. What happened?"

"Lightning struck the tree," explained Elladan. "You were thrown from it. Are you alright?"

"I feel alright, aside from being a bit bruised." He hissed again sharply as his hands began to hurt again, but worse this time. He finally got the chance to look at his hands and he was shocked to see them burnt, dark red and raw.

Elladan grasped Elrohir's wrist very gently and wrapped some material around the wounds. Although it stung, Elrohir was quite glad of it; it would stop any further damage and he wouldn't have to look at them.

"Don't worry Ro, they'll get better," said Elladan. "I mean, remember that time when I spilt that hot oil on my leg?"

Elrohir laughed. "How could I forget? You screamed the whole of Rivendell down to the ground that day!"

Elladan blushed slightly. "Yes, I _know_ Ro... I _was_ there... well, my point is, _that_ was a bad burn too, but it healed. You'll be fine."

Elrohir felt a little better now. "I guess we'd better go look for them..."

Elladan nodded gravely as the mood suddenly turned as sombre as a graveyard. He had no idea what they would find; whether the others were hurt or not, or even if they were still alive. He quickly banished such thoughts from his mind. He had to hope, didn't he?

----

Estel took in a shaky breath as the wolf keeled over and died. His left arm hung limp at his side and in his right hand he held a bloody sword. Dropping it with a clang, he fell heavily to his knees.

Hallataulë ran past him to see Legolas. The younger Elf lay still, eyes closed, as red blood flowed profusely from his arm. Attempts to bring him round were useless, and Hallataulë finally admitted defeat. They would have to give up looking for the twins and instead head back to Rivendell. Both Legolas and Estel needed help now, and no more time could be wasted.

Picking up his younger brother, Hallataulë faced Estel. "Estel, do you think you can walk unaided?"

The teenager nodded. He was feeling less dizzy now, perhaps the bump on his head wasn't so bad now. "I think so. If you just go, I'll follow, don't worry."

The sun had gone down and now a chilled wind was blowing through the valley, but they had to walk and carry on regardless of their missing companions or the dangers the night might possibly bring...

**-looks at fingertips and realises they're flat- O.o Woah... well, I hope you enjoyed that! I'm hoping to get more time to write now, so you shouldn't have to wait that long for updates again. ;-) Tell me what you think!**


	6. Saviour

**Right-) Hello again! Here's me with another update... I hope you enjoy it!**

**Deana****; Ah... you know me too well, don't you-D**

**Dha-Gal****; He he he... we're so evil to them... 3-)**

**Chichiri's Wanderer****; Thank you! Meh... I think I'm going to give Elladan a rest for this story...**

**ELLADAN: Yes!**

**... he's going to have enough EMOTIONAL angst to deal with...**

**ELLADAN: 8.**

**Mellaithwen****; Star sits down triumphantly at her computer desk, cracking her knuckles, before realising it was a bad idea as they crack and twist into strange painful shapes. However, she soldiers bravely on to read the review happily. She suggests another anime to Mellaithwen, Fruits Basket, then proceeds to write the chapter, all the while wondering how this reply managed to get into the 3rd person...**

**Linuvial Greenleaf****; -blush- Thank you so much! –makes a note to get doors specially widened to allow big head through- Lol1 You praise me too much, I don't deserve it! ;-)**

**Mornflower****; COOKIE! –gobbles cookie- Another cookie, please? –holds up chapter- For the chapter? Yeah!**

**Lynx Yamato****; -blushes again- Thanks!**

**Faerlain****; I'll be sure to tell him that! –runs off to find Hal- Hal? Faerlain says you're a dude.**

**HAL-SUPERBLUSH™-**

**He he he... he's not used to compliments, bless him...**

**varda101****; Well, I love my cliffies... after all, nobody else does! 3-)**

**Stoneage Woman****; -) Thanks!**

**Terreis****; You really ARE desperate to see them together, aren't you! Lol! Ok then Terreis... I'll put in a special part just for you near the end of the story, ok? And Valentine 's Day is on the way and you know how I like my Specials... hint hint...**

**Astievia****; I love wolves too! You'll find out why I made it a WOLF and not a WARG that attacked them a little later on, ok? I promise! ;-) Can you imagine someone actually HAVING a cow? O.o Like, _woah_...**

**Shadowfaxgal****; So many people are complimenting me today... ack! Too... much! –keels over- **

**ELROHIR: Does this mean we get a break now?**

**No.**

**Estel with a Golden Quill****; I noticed! Thanks for all your help the other day too, I feel much better now-)**

**shadowfox8****; Does Hal have foresight? Not that I know of, but remember I'm always coming up with new fic ideas EVERY DAY... but as I do _not_ have the gift of foresight, I'm afraid I can't give you an answer on that one I'm afraid... but, if you want him to I've got no problem with that! ;-)**

**Well then, now that I've dealt with the replies, I can get on with the chapter-) I hope you all like it! It's a lot lighter than the previous chapters, a sure sign that we are approaching the end... enjoy!**

.: Chapter Six :.

"Come," said Elladan finally. "Let's head towards home."

Elrohir looked at him, stunned. "I thought we were to look for them!"

Elladan shushed him quickly. "We are. We've taught Estel enough to know what to do in a situation like this, and Hal has enough common sense to know what to do as well. Remember what we've all been told; if anything drastic should happen, head towards home. That's what the rest of your party will be doing, so the chances are that you'll meet up with them along the way."

Now it made sense to the younger Noldo, and he was grateful for Elladan's rapid thinking. He'd probably have scoured the land for hours looking for the others before remembering that vital piece of information.

It was with heavy hearts that they began to walk home...

-

Estel forced his feet to move, but they dragged across the floor, and he could barely hold his head up. He told himself resolutely though that he had to follow Hallataulë, who was just a short way in front of him, still carrying Legolas. He would have enough time to dwell on his aching head later.

"Are you alright back there Estel?" called Hallataulë. He was concerned about the youngster who was almost exhausted.

"Yes," sighed Estel. He staggered a few more steps.

Hallataulë frowned. "I think we ought to stop."

Estel shook his head as well as he could without aggravating his headache. "I'm fine, really," he mumbled again quietly.

Hallataulë didn't believe him, but there was not much he could do. "Alright Estel, but you must promise me if you feel you must stop, you are to tell me, agreed?"

Estel looked up at the Elf with bleary eyes. "Agreed."

A groan from the prone figure in his arms suddenly shifted Hallataulë's attention. Legolas blinked before half-opening his eyes.

"Legolas! Are you alright?"

Legolas nodded slowly. "Where's Estel?"

"He is fine," replied Hallataulë, though he knew better. However, the boy had assured him that he would warn the Elf if he had to stop, and Hallataulë trusted him to do that. He just hoped that this trust was well placed. "Right now I'm a little more concerned about you. We're going back to Rivendell now Legolas, you'll be alright soon."

"Hal, I know a place that's closer to here," mumbled Legolas quietly. The older Elf listened intently; if there was somewhere closer it would make things much easier for them all.

"Tiliath's cottage," continued Legolas. He had recognised the area; he had rode back with the twins through this place "He lives up on the hill."

Hallataulë looked at him quizzically. "How have I not heard of him before? It doesn't sound like an Elvish name..."

"He's human," began Legolas quietly. As he saw his older brother bristle at the statement, he quickly continued. "He's a Ranger. We can trust him Hal..."

"And why are you so sure?" questioned the other Elf. Legolas looked up at him sheepishly.

"Because he saved my life once before."

Hallataulë hadn't known this. This was a new and sudden shock to him. Just how much trouble had Legolas gotten into on these trips to Rivendell! And why didn't he let any of the rest of his family know! But that was for later, not for now. He would definitely be quizzing Legolas on this...

"Very well Legolas," said the older Elf tersely. "We will go there." He shifted his grip on his younger brother when Legolas squirmed slightly in his arms. "What now?"

Legolas frowned. "I've hurt my _arm_ Hal; I'm quite capable of walking," he said, unable to keep the snappish tone from his voice. Anyway, after coming through the initial grogginess he'd felt after waking up, Legolas felt much better, despite the fact that his arm was still bleeding. Hallataulë shrugged.

"Fine. But if you fall over, blame yourself, not me..."

-

A small five year old boy ran over the wooden floor and pulled on his mother's skirts. "Mama, there's someone outside Mama!"

Ecara stroked her little boy's dark curls. "There is? Well then my dear, we shall have to see what they want, eh?" She took a glance out of the window and was surprised to see someone she recognised.

'Legolas?' she thought. 'Now what's he doing here?' She then noticed the blood that coated his arm and hand, staining his sleeves a dark crimson. She resisted the sudden urge to roll her eyes. 'Darned boy can't stay out of trouble...'

-

Legolas had told Estel and Hallataulë to hang back a little; he would knock on the door and ask Tiliath and Ecara if they could help them. As he walked towards the house, they did as told, staying back a short way away. Estel leaned heavily on Hallataulë, swallowing hard. His head was spinning something awful now.

Legolas was just about to knock on the door. As he'd approached the house, he'd wondered just what Tiliath and Ecara would think; he hadn't seen them for quite some time now. What if they already had guests? What if Tiliath was away with the Rangers again? Now that he thought about it, he'd not thought this through very well at all. If needs be though, he might end up begging them if he and the other two could simply sleep in the stable. He was pretty sure Ferdilon, the loyal steed of Tiliath, wouldn't mind very much if he had to share his hay for a day or two...

Before he could knock on the door though, it swung open quickly.

"Well hello there master Elf! Now why do I get the feeling you're here to ask for a favour?" Ecara smiled warmly at him, before looking concerned at the amount of blood pouring from his bitten arm. "My goodness Legolas... what have you been up to now!"

"If you would be so kind Ecara," said Legolas. "I would rather explain later. I-"

She cut him off though as she spotted Estel and Hallataulë further down the hill. "They are with you, correct?" Legolas nodded. Ecara rolled her eyes. "Well what are they doing back there! Honestly Legolas, did you think I was going to turn you away? Come on now, get inside and out of that rain, the three of you... you look like drowned rats..."

-

Elladan looked up a steep hill. There it was; the bottom gate of Rivendell. There wasn't much further to go now...

Elrohir hissed as a particularly sharp sting fired up in his left hand. Valar it hurt... he was almost looking forward to having his injured hands checked by his father... _almost_. Anyone who actually _truly_ looked forward to one of Lord Elrond's examinations was either incredibly brave... or incredibly stupid.

An Elven guard standing atop the gate noticed them. "Elladan, Elrohir? Is that you two down there?"

"Aye," returned Elladan. "Can you please open the gates?"

"Where are Estel and the princes?" asked the guard, worried. The chances were that yet again the group had managed to find trouble... they were probably the only people he knew who could find every bit of trouble that was happening in the vicinity in a single day.

When Elladan hesitated in reply, the guard confirmed his fears. "Pay no mind to me my lord," he said. "I shall open the gate for you now."

Elrohir resigned himself to ignoring his stinging hands. After all, this was no longer simply about getting healed...

The question was how they were going to explain all of this to their father...

-

Ecara lifted the heavy iron kettle quickly, holding the hot handle in a towel. Moving across the room, she poured boiling water into a large bowl and allowed a clean rag to soak in it.

"Now Legolas, let's see to that arm of yours." Her fingers brushed Legolas' forearm, but quickly retracted as the Elf hissed. "Come along now, I'm more than sure that it needs looking at."

Legolas knew that she was right, after all the bites still hadn't stopped oozing thick red blood. It was more than a little discomforting. Grudgingly, he allowed Ecara to gently take his arm in her light grasp.

The woman winced at the sight. The material of Legolas' sleeve had stiffened with the soaking of blood it had received, but Ecara could still see painful looking, deep wounds in the Elf's arm. She decided that the best course of action would be to cut his sleeve and then tend the wound from there.

Ecara chewed her lip, deep in thought. Tiliath would be much better at this than her, but he was in the woods catching their supper. She had no way of getting a message to him, and besides, the first thing she would have probably told him would be that he should catch more as they suddenly had three more mouths to feed tonight...

Dipping her hand into the bowl of water, which had now cooled down somewhat, Ecara took up the rag and wrung the excess liquid out.

"Now, this is going to sting," she told Legolas. Legolas was just about to remark that it was of no matter to him when she pressed the cloth to his skin.

Hallataulë was sitting in the corner and resisted the urge to laugh as he saw Legolas' eyes widen and he bit his lip. The eldest prince did, however, allow himself an amused smile. After all, he wasn't a stone statue...

Though in young Tolaith's opinion, he seemed just like one.

"You don't talk very much, do you?" said the small boy from his spot on the rug in front of the fire. He looked at the Elf innocently.

"Well Tolaith," hissed Legolas through gritted teeth. "He's a rather unsociable person..."

Hallataulë scoffed. "I'm not the one who locks himself in our room when our cousins from Lothlorien arrive..." he said, grinning darkly.

Legolas looked at him indignantly. "Excuse me Hal, but I remember you said that had you the chance you would do the same... would you wish to spend more time than you had to with Rosdur and Ruithwé?"

Hal sighed. "No I wouldn't, but unfortunately I have to... one of the many pitfalls of being crown prince I'm afraid..."

Legolas grinned smugly, before the smile was wiped quickly from his face as Ecara began to wrap the bandages around his arm.

"Oh do stop complaining..." she laughed. Legolas bit his tongue to curb his reply; after all there was a young child in the room...

Once he had regained his composure, he decided to ask a more serious question. "How is Estel?"

Hallataulë looked over to the bed where the boy was sleeping peacefully. Ecara had vowed to put him straight to bed the moment he had stumbled into the house. After quickly cleaning the shoulder wound and bandaging it, she took a look at his head and concluded that apart from a splitting headache and a minor concussion which a little sleep would hopefully cure, he was otherwise fine. Now Estel was really quite content, tucked up in bed under a mass of blankets.

"He is fine."

Legolas nodded. "That's good," he said, half muttering to himself. "I would hate to think what the twins would do to us if there were any lasting effects."

Ecara finished winding the bandage around Legolas arm. "There you are, that wasn't so bad now, was it?"

The look on Legolas' face told her otherwise.

Pulling a large square cloth from her kit, Ecara folded it into a triangle and took the Elf's arm once more. She placed it gently into it and then proceeded to tie the corners just behind the side of his neck, creating an effective makeshift sling.

Hallataulë watched the woman with interest. "You have quite some skill madam," he commented. "May I ask how you learnt?"

Ecara smiled knowingly. "I shall say simply that Tiliath seems to like getting into as much trouble as your brother here..."

The woman and the older Elf both laughed, though Legolas couldn't see quite what was so funny. He resorted to simply scowling.

A loud knock on the door interrupted their exchange, and Ecara rose hastily from her seat and opened it. A very wet Ranger stood at the door...

**And I think I'll leave it there for now... ;-) Don't forget to RR! You know you want to...**

**Oh, and one more thing... keep an eye out for Legolas and Hal's cousins... I know that they were only mentioned in passing, but I have a very funny (well, in my opinion anyway) story in which they come to Mirkwood... and you've seen how Legolas and Hal react to them... ;-) Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll be back much sooner next time with the next chapter-D**


	7. Massacre Memory

**Deana****; Thanks:-) Yup; poor Legolas!**

**Mornflower****; -greedily grabs cookie and hand over chapter- There's the chapter, do I get my brownie-cookie hybrid now! Thanks for reviewing by the way... –gobbles cookie- Mmmm... cookie...**

**Chichiri's Wanderer****; Lol! Nope, there's absolutely nothing better than a nice bit of angst! I'll see what I can do...**

**Stoneage Woman****; Thanks! Ooh... enjoy studying... –grins evilly-**

**leggylover03****; I think Estel is ok... I can't make any promises though... aye, what WILL Elrond say! –remembers what she typed- He he he... –double evil grin-**

**Mellaithwen****; Well, the beetch has been put in her place, so you and Jo need not worry... and anyway, I'm in a SERIOUSLY good mood now anyway as I'M ALL LURVED UP... an extremely cute boy called Charlie... I'll keep you informed as things progress... lol! Skittles; I have to be in the right mood for them... rainbows are nice enough but they sure are filling! Yup, Tiliath's back! I had to bring him back; I was missing him too! Ah, the Lothlorien cousins story... -grins- I love it too! I'll post it soon!**

**Dha-Gal****; Poor Tiliath... no wonder he's paranoid of you now! Lol! I've still got that picture that you drew of him... mind if I put it up on my website under Fanfic Fanart? It'd be the first piece up there, lol! -glares- You promised you'd drop the eyebrow thing... grrrrr! I FIXED THAT TYPO! -cries-**

**Terreis****; Lol! You really do like the couples/potential couples, don't you? Ecara and Tiliath, Hal and Tebridë... lol! Actually, now that you mention it, I was wandering through Middle-Earth the other day and an inn in Bree had a poster on the door saying; WANTED FOR FANFICTION DAMAGE and five pictures of four certain Elves and a Ranger... strange, huh? Yup, there'll be a part in this chapter JUST FOR YOU, seeing as you like Tebridë and Hal so much... also, I've drawn a bit of fanart for you of the two of them together, I'll let you know when I've posted it on my site! ;-) Ah, Writer's Block... the bane of every writer... I hope it passes soon! **

**Faerlain****; Thanks! ;-) **

**varda101****; Ok! Lol!**

**shadowfox8****; Thanks! Well, regarding Hal... you're free to use him as you like; I just have a few small rules over him, and these rules go for ANYBODY who wishes to borrow him – 1) Give me credit for him, which I know you've already done! ;-) 2) No supernatural powers; foresight aye, as some Elves do have that, but nothing like shooting lasers from his eyes... lol! 3) Keep him somewhat in character. If the way he's written is nothing like the way I write him, then it's like a completely different character which has been given the name I made up myself, though I'm sure you wouldn't do that Shadow... and finally 4) Feel free to kill him off if you like, just mention that that is a story plot of your own and not mine. ;-) That's about it! So have fun with him and be sure to show me the results!**

**Lost-Elf****; Oh, thank you! It's always lovely to find that someone's been reading, and thanks for saying to me, I love getting new reviewers! Lol, well, like I said earlier, what's a good story (with the exception of humour) without angst? Lol! Thank you very much for reviewing, I hope you do so again soon!**

**Sila ninque****; Wow! Well, let me just say that I'm both grateful and extremely flattered:-D It really makes me smile when I find out that someone's taken the time to read over my series like that! So thanks for brightening up my day! I hope you enjoy the rest of series as it comes...**

**ashlyns****; With pleasure:-) Thanks for the review!**

**SageWriting****; Lol! Well, I'll take the stalking me remark as a compliment... ;-) I'm glad you're enjoying the story! Lol!**

**LATMC****; Oh thank you! I'm really glad to hear that! Wow, it's surprising me the number of people who are first time reviewers of the series this time round, it's great! Well, let's just say that I now have over 40 stories planned for the series, so I'm sure there'll be plenty more for you to read, lol! It goes right up to the War of the Ring and beyond actually. What happened to Garvorg? Well, let's just say that if a villain doesn't suffer a gruesome death at the end of one of my stories, the chances are, they're going to come back _bigger and badder_ than last time! Let's just say, I know what happens to Garvorg... Aragorn, Legolas, and all you wonderful readers on the other hand, DON'T... –evil grin- At the moment, he fell from the cliff and ran, but don't forget what was said:**

_Stumbling out of the riverbed, Garvorg laughed to himself. He had found it! He, Garvorg, had found the living place of the Elves. And he would be back, one day; he would return with an army, and he would fulfill his plans once and for all._

_He stalked away into the darkness of the forest, limping and dripping water as he left. The trees shuddered when he grew close, and they knew in their hearts that many years after this day, he would keep his word. He would come back..._

- Red Sun Rising, _Chapter Seven_

**Ooh, spooky... that was at chapter 7 too! Woah...**

**Sarah****; Thanks! I hope you enjoy this chapter too.**

**TO EVERYONE READING:**** I've had some people asking whether they can do fanart based on my stories or write fanfics based on my characters. All I can say is go right ahead! Make sure to upload it onto your comp and the internet (if you have a Council of Elrond account it'll be easy!), leave the link to the picture in a review and I'll take a look and pop it onto my site! ; )**

.: Chapter Seven :.

Tiliath planted a kiss on Ecara's cheek before seeing past her. The first person he happened to see was Legolas.

"Valar, Legolas; what are you doing here!" asked the Ranger, bewildered. His mind immediately began to sound an alarm; it seemed that the only times he'd ever bumped into the young Elf Prince when either the Elf or himself were in deep trouble...

Legolas allowed his bandaged arm to come into Tiliath's view. "The same reason as last time my friend. I shall soon have to find a new excuse; 'injury' is wearing rather thin, don't you think?"

Tiliath rolled his eyes. Entering the small house, he sat on the countertop of the small kitchen area that was adjoined to the main sitting room (which also happened to house a bed.) "Well, at least you're fully awake and coherent this time. Not like with those other injuries you had, remember? The frozen lake?"

"Other injuries?" thought Hallataulë, eavesdropping in on their conversation. There were other incidents, involving a frozen lake? He'd heard nothing of this. And now he discovered that Legolas had relationships with more humans than just Estel. The young human boy he could deal with, but more of them? Just how far was Legolas getting himself involved with mortals? He'd had so many warnings...

_Just how much was Legolas hiding from him?_

Hallataulë mulled all of these new revelations in his head darkly as he sat in his fire lit corner. He would have to have a _very_ long chat with Legolas when all of this was over...

----

All in all...

When all was said and done...

Elladan could only conclude that this day had been a long one, and at that point, he could see no end in sight. He and Elrohir had taken four hours to explain themselves and their situation; four hours of frustration, anger, tears, questions, answers, and confusion and desperation. Now he was so tired... he simply wanted to crawl to his bed. Yet, with no end in sight, as was already decided, Elladan knew that his conscience simply wouldn't allow him to rest until he knew where Estel, Legolas and Hallataulë were.

"Speaking of those three," his mind told him, "Is it not ironic that they are the subject of Ada's current question?"

Elrond had only felt stress like this a few rare times before... strangely enough; they all seemed to involve the twins, Estel, or one or more of their friends. "Do you know what happened to them?" he asked.

"We... we lost them Ada..." confessed Elrohir.

"You... you _lost_ them!" Elrond shook his head numbly. "_How_!"

"The water Ada..." whispered Elladan, lowering his head. "It swept them away from us."

"It feels as though I'm unable to trust any of you to come home without injury!" cried Elrond, exasperated. He rubbed his temples with his fingers and sighed. When he spoke next, his tone was softer.

"Do you know what _happened_ to them?" he repeated. He needed to know if the twins had seen _anything_ else, apart from their brother and friends being carried away by the water.

The twins shook their heads. Elrond thought deeply. What would he tell Thranduil and Sólia? That he had allowed both of their children to be swept away by a freak and unforeseen flood? Before the five younger beings' friendship, the relationship between Mirkwood and Rivendell had been tentative at best; only in recent years had things become far easier. What would happen if the two princes had not survived?

"Ai Valar... why do you torment me thus?" he thought desperately.

----

"I see you've brought company this time," remarked Tiliath to Legolas matter-of-factly. He motioned to the Elf sitting in the corner and the teen lying on the bed. "Am I to be introduced?"

Legolas nodded. "Aye. My friend Estel is taking up the space in your bed I'm afraid, and the grumpy one in the corner is my brother." He grinned as Hallataulë scowled at him.

Tiliath inclined his head in respect. "A pleasure to meet you."

Hallataulë returned the gesture. "The same for me. You seem to know my brother quite well; I'd say that anyone who knows of his accidental nature must do..."

The Ranger laughed heartily. "Aye well... let's just say that fate conspired one day to give me the streak of bad luck to meet him." He laughed once again, and Hallataulë found himself joining in.

"And you Master Elf?" asked Tiliath, smiling slightly. "Did you come through the storm without injury or does proneness to accidents run in your family?"

Hallataulë laughed quietly. "I am fine, truly. Thank you for your concern."

Legolas stared at him, his eyes glowering. "_Liar_," he mouthed, smirking. Hallataulë simply raised one eyebrow at him, never letting his gaze off of his younger sibling.

Perhaps these new humans were not so bad. Hallataulë was more than surprised at himself; he was actually conversing rather well with them. Perhaps Estel _had_ softened his views? He still had the memories of those first humans he'd met locked in his heart and in his mind; locked away in a place that he could never find a key for to release them; but it dawned on him that Estel's presence had calmed the memories – they were not as bad as they once were. Perhaps Legolas was right. Perhaps humans with such a cruel streak in them really were rare. Perhaps, after all, there was some merit in the human race, something which marked them out and made them different.

Then again, Legolas had never been one to stick to conventional views... Hallataulë remembered how much trouble Legolas would get into with the other Elflings of his age in the past. Maybe he should be concerned that he was beginning to think like his younger brother...

Perhaps both were correct. He would just have to find out.

A groan from the bed alerted the attention of all in the room...

----

Elrond had sent out a fairly large search party to find his missing son and the princes. Elladan and Elrohir he had packed off to bed with no small amount of force, adamant that they would not go out and help with this particular search party.

After treating Elrohir's hands and then checking him for any further injuries from the fall, Elrond finally gave him an almost clean bill of health. It was this statement however, that had made the twins all the more adamant to go. Despite their best efforts to be allowed to help, the twins found themselves being sent to their rooms to get some rest after what was understatedly being called a 'very stressful day'.

Elrond found himself collapsing into a large overstuffed chair and put a hand to his forehead. Elrohir's words had struck him, causing a knot to tighten up inside of him. Lost them?

"How do you explain that you simply _lost_ three people?" he thought. He was still trying to figure out how to tell the King and Queen. And not only that, but he had lost Estel as well...

"Ai, Estel..." Somehow, he felt that this was to be a herald of things to come. It seemed that whenever Estel and Legolas were in each other's company, things were bound to go awry.

For now though, Elrond of Rivendell would simply have to sit and wonder at the state of things, how things had become like this, and how things would be...

----

Estel blinked and opened his eyes wearily. His head felt sore and heavy, throbbing as though he'd had one of the twins slam it in a door. His eyes closed again and he groaned.

"Welcome back!" said a cheerful sounding voice. Estel's eyes snapped open again and he found himself staring at the face of a dripping wet, rugged looking man. Intense brown eyes looked back at him. His breath caught in his throat in fear before a second far more familiar voice also spoke.

"It's alright Estel, we're safe."

The teenager turned his head on the pillow to see his best friend smiling at him from a comfy looking chair beside the fire. "Legolas?"

"Who else?" grinned the Elf.

"How's your arm?" asked Estel quietly.

"Fine," said Legolas, still grinning. "Although it's a bit sore. What about you?"

Estel self-assessed himself again. No. He was still the same as when he woke. "I feel like I've been sat on by an Oliphaunt..."

Everyone else in the room laughed lightly at his comment. Estel frowned. "I'm being serious!"

"We know Estel, we know," said Hallataulë. "It's good to see that you're alright though. Now, when do you think you'd feel up to trying to get home?"

Estel propped himself up on his elbows quickly, a look of defiant determination on his face. "Now! I'm absolutely fi-" He was cut off mid-sentence however when his head suddenly felt light and his world span. He gulped and lay back down.

"Looks like your body isn't quite as well as your ego yet..." remarked Legolas dryly.

"I'd give it a couple of hours yet," advised Tiliath. "That'll give you a chance for your head to clear a little."

Estel nodded. "Alright..." He then looked pointedly at the two Elves. "And _then_ we go home!"

Hallataulë sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yes Estel... _then_ we go home..."

----

It was about three hours later when Tiliath, Legolas and Hallataulë finally decided that Estel might well enough to head home. As they debated the pros and cons of the matter, the teenager in question had sat on the bed and sulked.

"I'm more than capable of looking after myself..." he'd thought, annoyed.

It seemed that the two Elves agreed with that, promising Tiliath that they would head straight home with the human. Although the Ranger had been reluctant, Legolas had assured him that Estel would be far better off at home under the care of Lord Elrond, and so he relented.

And so it was, as Legolas and Hallataulë were gathering the group's belongings, Estel chanced upon a talk with Tiliath...

Estel sat on the bed, pulling his boots on. The action caused his shoulder to hurt badly and he hissed.

"Here, let me help you with that."

Estel looked up to see Tiliath crouch down before him.

"I'm fine, really," said the teenager, somewhat embarrassed that he might need help at his age.

Tiliath gave him a wry grin. "Hmmm, you've got pride in yourself. That's a good trait usually, but for now, just let your pride go and accept help, ok?"

Estel blushed with embarrassment. Tiliath laughed a little.

"I don't know why..." said the Ranger quietly as he helped the boy. "But you remind me very much of someone I knew a long time ago."

"Really?" said Estel. "Who?"

"A Ranger, like myself," explained Tiliath. "He was a good man; an exceptional leader and a great friend. It surprises me; you look very like him as well."

Estel was curious. "Really?"

Tiliath was studying the boy closely. "Yes." He paused for a moment. "May I ask how old you are Estel?"

"Sixteen," replied the boy. "I'll be seventeen next March the first."

Tiliath was stunned. Now he knew why this boy reminded him of his friend...

_Lightning forked the sky and the rain came down so hard that it almost felt that it was throwing itself at the earth. Tiliath rounded a corner, avoiding the burning buildings in the next street of the village. The Orcs had known all too well where to strike; this village in Eriador was where almost all of the Rangers lived._

_"Arathorn!" he yelled, over the screams of the people, looking around desperately.__ There was fire everywhere. Dead bodies lay littered across the ground, staring with blank glazed looks that would haunt every survivor of this massacre for the rest of their lives._

_Tiliath ran down the street. He needed to find Arathorn, the leader of the Rangers. This was swiftly turning into a disaster; they needed to get the women and children as far away as possible. Too many innocents had already been slaughtered. He knew that Arathorn would be with the elven twins. They had always had strong links with the Rangers and were in the area when the village had been attacked._

_And then it happened. Tiliath ran out into the large clearing in the centre of the village, the main area of the fighting. He'd just spotted Arathorn, riding furiously through the hordes of Orcs that surrounded him, Elladan and Elrohir, cutting them down as they stood in his path. They were winning... this nightmare would be over soon! Already the rain was beginning to douse the fires; they would rebuild their homes... their lives._

_A lone Orc stood atop a tree trunk and took aim._ _Arathorn's heroics were about to be cut brutally short. The arrow flew, slicing through the air like a knife. Arathorn heard the whistling sound and turned; a fatal error._

_Tiliath watched in utter disbelief as the arrow struck Arathorn in the eye, throwing him from his horse. In his mind, Tiliath already knew his friend was dead, but his heart could not believe it. He fell to his knees in the mud as the evil Orcs pounced upon his fallen comrade's body..._

_"ARATHORN!"_

----

_It was many hours later that all of the Orcs were finally killed. Elladan, Elrohir and Tiliath had rescued Arathorn's corpse from the brutal hands of the Orcs and bore the Chieftain's body back in dignity to his home and his wife Gilraen._

_Gilraen wept uncontrollably, clutching Elladan's coat in her hands and leaning heavily on him. All the Elf could do was stand there and allow her to let out her grief. Tiliath could do nothing. He simply stood in the doorway, watching the heartbreaking scene. Elrohir was looking after Arathorn and Gilraen's young child who was sat in the corner._

_"Elladan..." sobbed the young woman. "I... I..."_

_Elladan pulled her back slightly and looked in her eyes. "Yes Gilraen?"_

_The woman looked back with red stinging eyes; eyes in which hope had died and there seemed to be no future._

_"I want you and Elrohir to... to take Aragorn."_

_Elladan's eyes widened. "What! Gilraen... we, we can't-"_

_"Please Elladan!" she pleaded. "I... I'm begging you. He's not safe here! I... I want him to go back with you to Rivendell... please..."_

_Elladan looked over to Elrohir, a look of confusion on his face. His whole expression asked 'what should I do?'_

_Elrohir rose from the floor where he'd been with the small two year old who was the subject of this debate._

_"I think..." he said slowly, "that bringing Aragorn with us would be for the best."_

_Elladan sighed. "Are you sure Gilraen?"_

_The young woman nodded. The utter inconsolable grief etched on her face over the prospect of having to send away her only child was almost unbearable. _

_Elrohir quickly chipped in. "You know Gilraen, that if you ever want to see him, you come, alright? You're always welcome."_

_Gilraen nodded and dropped her gaze to the floor._

_Tiliath had watched the entire exchange. It made sense. Now Aragorn, a small toddler, was the Heir of Isildur. There were many people in the world who would want to kill the youngster. Sending him to Rivendell would probably be his best chance of survival._

_"Tiliath," said Gilraen quietly. "You live near Rivendell, do you not?"_

_"Yes," said Tiliath. Gilraen thought quietly for a moment._

_"If you ever encounter my son," she said slowly. "Do not mention his father, or me, or anything about tonight. I want Lord Elrond to tell him the truth only when he is old enough. Until then..." She choked back a sob. "Until then, we were both killed, Arathorn and I, and Aragorn is no special thing to the world. When I come, I'll see him, aye, but from a distance. Are we all agreed?"_

_Elrohir thought that this was wrong. Surely if the boy grew up thinking he was an orphan, the revelation of his mother being alive would have a bad effect on him? He opened his mouth to protest, but Elladan stopped him._

_"Mother's wishes Ro," he said softly. "Alright?"_

_Elrohir scowled, but did not make his thoughts known. The effects of tonight would be felt by all present, one day, but until that day, it was now the twins' duty to care for Aragorn..._

"Tiliath?" asked Estel. "Is something wrong?" The Ranger had fallen quiet and solemn for a moment.

Tiliath shook himself from his memories and gave a weak smile. "No, nothing."

An awkward silence fell between them for a moment.

"So... you're a Ranger?" asked Estel.

Tiliath nodded. Estel pondered this carefully.

"I'd like to be a Ranger one day..." he said finally.

Tiliath grinned. "You would? Well..." He leaned forward close to the teenager and whispered. "The day that you decide the time is right, you come to me. I'll take you to Eriador."

Estel's face lit up. "Really!"

"Yes!" said Tiliath. "You know... I believe you'd make a fine Ranger."

Seeing the smile on Estel's face was enough. Before the teen could reply though, Legolas called for him from beside the door. "Time to go Estel!"

Estel jumped down from the bed and flashed a grin at Tiliath before running to his friend. Tiliath smiled softly as he watched the boy leave.

"After all..." he thought. "It's in your blood..."

----

The sun was back. It shone brightly through the leaves, casting a faint green light on the travellers below. Estel, Legolas and Hallataulë wanted nothing more than to finally get to Rivendell and rest properly...

A cracking noise from the bushes put the trio on sudden high alert. Pulling out his bow, Hallataulë readied an arrow.

The bush rustled and they all stood, watching it intently. They didn't know what might spring from it...

A faint whimper was heard, and from the bush emerged a small grey baby wolf.

Hallataulë lowered his bow thankfully and the younger two breathed a sigh of relief.

"Come on," said Estel. "Let's get going."

He and Hallataulë turned to leave but Legolas stayed, watching the wolf.

"Come on Legolas!"

"No..." said the younger prince. "It's alone out here..." The trees told him that much. "It has no mother."

Realisation dawned on them as they remembered the fight with the she-wolf the day before.

"That must have been why the she attacked," said Hallataulë. "She thought we were a threat - she was simply protecting her young one."

"I feel really quite guilty right now," said Legolas quietly. The small wolf pup ran to him, stopping at his feet and looking at him expectantly. The Elf knelt down and patted the pup gently. "So... what do we do with him?"

"Keep him," said Estel bluntly. Hallataulë shook his head.

"No! What on Arda would Ada and Ama say if we came home with a baby wolf!"

Legolas looked up at him with pleading eyes. "Oh come on Hal..." He picked the small furry bundle up in his arms, where it snuggled down. "Look at him..."

Hallataulë groaned and rolled his eyes. "You know Legolas, I've just figured out how you constantly manage to get your own way... it's that face you pull. Unfortunately nobody can resist it..." He sighed. "Fine. We'll keep him-"

Legolas grinned at this.

"-BUT," continued the older Elf, folding his arms. "He's _your_ responsibility, _not_ mine!"

Legolas nodded. "Done!"

----

It was another four hours before they'd finally got back to the comfort of Rivendell. The sun was beginning to set in the sky when the gates had opened and the inhabitants of the city breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Elrond stood on the steps up to the healing ward, one eyebrow raised and giving them a look of mixed relief and exasperation.

All he said was a simple and much heard: "Let's take a look at you all then."

Despite their protests that Ecara had already taken care of them, the glare of Elrond quickly shut them up and they silently followed him to the ward. Estel suddenly felt like he could breathe again; a gentle cooling breeze blew through the large windows along the corridor. He was home...

Five minutes later, Elrond was convinced that the two Elves would be fine with some much needed rest and relaxation. However, he was concerned about Estel's shoulder and wanted to check it himself; after all, he _had_ had a branch spiked through it. He dismissed the two Elves, telling them in no uncertain terms to "go and get some sleep, or else I will ensure myself that you are both unable to wake for a week!" After all, Elrond's 'herbal tea' was a threat to be feared throughout Imladris...

The key scraped in the lock and the door swung open. Legolas was surprised that his older brother hadn't lost the key in the water. Like at home, here in Rivendell they shared their room. They could have had separate rooms had they wanted them; the sharing was purely because they'd always done so since they were young and it had grown to the point where they didn't feel right if they didn't.

The room was large and spacious. Two beds sat at opposite ends of the room, the large picturesque window between them. An oak wardrobe sat majestically in the corner while tapestries hung on the walls.

Legolas was barely able to walk over to his bed before collapsing onto it tiredly. He sank into the soft pillows and sighed contentedly.

"Legolas," said Hallataulë. He folded his arms.

Legolas sat up. He couldn't help but notice that his older brother looked somewhat... hurt? Or saddened? He couldn't tell... there was an underlying current of anger there, or perhaps frustration, mixed with something else. The younger Elf suddenly had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach... now where would _this_ conversation lead? Hallataulë sat on the bed.

"Right Legolas. We're both alone, and I want you to be honest with me. Don't worry, none of this will go back to Ada and Ama, alright?"

Legolas nodded blankly, wondering what was going on.

Hallataulë sighed. "What have you been up to? What's all this 'he saved my life before' and the 'frozen lake', hmmm? What's that all about? And why have I only just found out about it now!"

Legolas was silent and he looked at his older brother with a sorrowful look in his eyes.

"Are you angry?"

Hallataulë snorted derisively. "Angry? I'm furious!" Legolas dropped his gaze.

"But not with you," continued the elder prince. "With myself. Why didn't you tell me Legolas? I'm your brother for goodness' sake! Why did you try to hide all of this from me! Is there something that's stopping you from coming to me? Have I done something wrong?"

Legolas searched for the right words, but he couldn't find them. He knew exactly why he couldn't tell Hallataulë, but he didn't know how to tell him without hurting his brother's feelings. So he stayed silent.

Hallataulë sighed. "Alright then. But I want you to promise me something, alright? From now on, no more secrets, ok?"

Legolas nodded quietly. "Ok..."

Hallataulë pushed his younger brother back down onto the bed. "I'll be back soon; I need a drink. And _now_ you, get some sleep!"

Legolas allowed a laugh to escape his lips, before he settled down and his mind sped away into dreams...

----

The oldest Mirkwood prince sat down at the kitchen table and sighed. He still knew that Legolas was hiding something from him. He slouched over the table, leaning on his arm, and watched the water in his glass bend the light and cast it in ripples on the table.

Hallataulë straightened quickly as he felt something warm and heavy drape onto him. Turning, he was somewhat surprised to see Tebridë holding a thick green blanket in her hands.

"You looked tired," she commented simply. She handed him the blanket, smiling serenely as she did so.

Hallataulë wrapped the offering around his shoulders stiffly. "_Hannon lle_," he said. Thank you

Tebridë moved around the bench and sat down next to him. "You realise you had the whole of Rivendell worried sick?" she said. Her eyes seemed to shine with unshed tears, yet she smiled happily. Hallataulë merely grinned lopsidedly. The look was not lost on him of course, but he put it down simply to the moonlight.

They sat like that for a moment, simply staring at each other, before Hallataulë coughed falsely, breaking the moment.

He leaned forward and, brushing her back gently, gave her a small kiss. After a second he drew back. Tebridë was staring at him wide-eyed, her mouth open slightly.

Hallataulë suddenly regretted the move. His mind quickly tried to think of an excuse quickly; the moonlight was addling his senses? He was tired; he didn't know what he was doing? That he couldn't help himself; she was just... beautiful...

Then she laughed. And suddenly...

The world seemed so much brighter.

----

It was late afternoon of the next day. The sun was shining again, and as Estel looked out of the glassless window at the far end of the hall he felt a sense of security and gladness, before it was replaced by a slight sadness.

The bags were packed with clothing and provisions, and the final day together was drawing to a gradual close. Legolas and Hallataulë were leaving to return home tomorrow.

For now however, Estel had resolved to enjoy the time with his friend. Goodbyes were tomorrow, and besides, he was sure that they'd see each other again very soon. At that moment they sat on the stairway of the main hall, discussing something of great importance.

"So, what are you going to call him?" asked the teen, resting back and lying on the large step with his arms behind his head.

Legolas pondered this for a moment. "I'm not sure... I'm trying to think of something appropriate."

The small pup rose up on its back legs and placed its front paws on Legolas' knees, looking at him expectantly.

"You're wanting me to hurry, aren't you?" said Legolas, smiling. "Very well. I shall call you Louvel." He scratched behind the pup's ears lovingly, and Louvel wagged his tail.

"Louvel?" repeated Estel. "'Little Wolf'? Legolas... _he's going to get bigger_..."

Legolas rolled his eyes. "I _know_ that..."

**Well, I hoped you enjoyed that! Sorry about the lack of action... next chapter is the last one... -sniffle- So, I hope to see you all there! ;-) I'll also include the preview of the next story!**

**P.S: That bit with Hal and Tebridë? That was especially for Terreis... hope you liked it! ;-)**


	8. Happiness

**Ah, summer holidays are here now, so I'll have loads of time to be updating:-) Yay! Although I'm off on holiday on Monday, so I'll be away for a couple of weeks, but just to be nice I'm putting up the last chapter before I leave AND the next story... you lucky people you! ;-)**

**Deana****; Lol, thanks! I quite liked writing that bit; a bit of humour after the sad bit with Arathorn and Gilraen... thanks for reviewing!**

**Lost-Elf****; I'm glad you like Louvel; he was actually an idea that popped into my head whilst writing the chapter. I realised that the way I'd written that chapter with the wolf made it sound as though the wolf was a cold-blooded killer. I didn't like that seeing as wolves are one of my fave animals, so I toyed with the idea of making her a protective parent... problem solved! Yes, a little Hal romance! Lol, I'm actually doing it partly in order to be alright at writing romance once Aragorn meets Arwen... I'm not that good a romance writer but I try, lol! Hmmm... well, we all know that pizza is a life-saving food, lol! ;-) Tell your friend hello from me and that I want pizza too... ;-) Thanks for the lovely long review!**

**Stoneage Woman****; Is he? Where did you find that out? I've looked everywhere to see whether Legolas was Crown Prince or not and it just said it's open to interpretation... I can't KILL Hal! –shakes head- Sorry, but I've become incredibly attached to him... ;-) Ah, sorry about that. I'd been away due to illness; my comp had been gathering dust for 2 months, but I'm fine now:-) Plus, SUMMER HOLIDAYS FOR ME:-D He he he... so lots of lovely updates are coming your way...**

**LATMC****; Thanks! Don't worry, I'll keep updating... ;-) Well, let's just say that when Garvorg comes back, he brings some little friends with him... :-D But that's enough of that; I'll spoil the story otherwise! He he he... same here, with the wild animal thing! I love them, lol! -blushes- You're too kind! ;-) Thanks so much for the compliments!**

**shadowfox8****; Ooh, I'm really excited actually, I can't wait to read your story! Lol! I honestly don't mind how you use him, but feel free to show me what you've done if that's what you want to do:-) He can take the foresight from his mother if that's what you want, like I said, I don't mind! Aaaw, that's so sweet of you, thank you!**

**Faerlain****; Lol, sorry! But don't worry, there'll be a nice new story after the next one that'll be winging it's way to ff.n as soon as I'm back off my holiday! OF COURSE there'll be more in the series! I've still got over 30 more stories planned for it you know... ;-) So you've got nothing to worry about there!**

**leggylover03****; ;-) Thanks!**

**Fawkes2005****; Thanks, and don't worry, I will:-)**

**And so we go onto the last chapter, which is very short, but I think rounds everything up nicely. Please enjoy...**

.: Chapter Eight :.

A letter arrived from Mirkwood in the evening three weeks later for Estel. The teenager had run up to his room and quickly opened it with his small craft knife.

'_Dear Estel,_' it began.

'_Hal and I got home a week after leaving your home. Seeing as I wrote this letter a week after we got back, and seeing as it would take a week for messenger to get there, I'm assuming you're reading this three weeks after we left._'

Typical Legolas. He always blathered on about practically nothing in his letters. Estel just smiled... it was something he'd become used to over the eight years he'd known the Elf.

'_I just thought I'd let you know that Louvel is doing fine here; he's fitting right in! After a bit of a shaky start of course; __Ada__ wasn't too happy about me bringing a wolf home, and less so when Louvel raided the pantry. I've got cleaning duty for the next month and a half because of it. I'm looking on the bright side though; __Ada__ seems to have warmed to him now that he's bringing his slippers to him. I always knew __Ada__ was lazy like that..._

_Hal keeps getting into trouble with his tutor; apparently, contrary to what Hal believes, scribbling Tebridë's name across his workbooks isn't part of his work in Geographical Studies. I could've told him that. I'm beginning to wonder what's going on between those two; did you notice them sneaking off together the night before we left? Giggling and everything they were... I don't know about you Estel, but they seem exceptionally suspicious to me._

_By the way, Ama says that you're welcome to come and stay whenever you like; she can't believe you're sixteen already. Well that's a complete understatement; she flat out REFUSES to believe it. I think that she still remembers you as that little twelve year old that came to stay that time. I've tried to convince her but she's being stubborn about it._'

Estel laughed. 'Well, now I know where you get it from Legolas...'

'_I hope I'll see you again soon; the cook's been making some cherry nectar here and I've stolen a bottle to share with you next time I see you. It's really very nice, even if it's full of sugar. Be careful you don't drink too much of it though; I had a whole bottle to myself once and next morning I woke up not remembering what I'd done, although I DO know I'd lost my shoes, whatever it was._

_Well, namárië for now! See you soon!_

_Legolas xxx_'

Estel folded up the letter with a grin on his face and slipped it into his drawer where he kept all of the things his friend has sent him; letters, drawings, an assortment of buttons, a small but growing collection of colourful stones and some oddly shaped leaves, one of which looked like an Oliphaunt's head if you held it upside-down. Admittedly the things the Prince sent were more than a little odd, but they had sentimental value.

Estel picked up a shining clear blue stone from the bottom of the drawer and played with it. In the mirror like surface of the stone he saw his reflection and surprised himself. He'd not realised he'd grown up so much. It was like Sólia had told Legolas; in some senses, Estel still _felt_ like that young twelve year old who'd been awestruck the first time he'd been to Mirkwood. The Wood Elves' home still had the affect on him, which had been the reason he'd originally asked Legolas to send him little things from there; so that he still had a little part of the great forest to remember that feeling by.

But he was growing up. It was time to accept it. Estel felt rather low; this meant that pretty soon he'd have to start being responsible... reliable... dependable... "A whole host of other words ending in 'ble'," as Elrohir had so eloquently put it. However, he tried to look on the bright side; growing up also meant being that bit closer to being independent, to drinking legally (even if he'd already tried alcohol on a secret trip to the cellar by himself a few months ago) and, and here's what brought a smile to his face, girls.

Elrond would be appalled if he knew what his teenage foster son was thinking about. Estel laughed to himself, and he remembered when Elladan had asked him why on Arda Legolas kept sending him these little trinkets at his request, but Estel had stayed silent. Only he knew the reason; that this strange little habit of his, of hording little things from Mirkwood in this little drawer; it made him happy. It brought back good memories, and often made him think about himself, and that simply made him... _happy_.

And in the grand scheme of things, that was all that mattered, wasn't it? Being happy? As long as you were, it wouldn't _matter_ if you were injured, soaked to the bone, and covered in mud thanks to a freak flash flood. It wouldn't _matter_ if you were slowly coming out of a content and secure childhood into the awful adult world. And it wouldn't _matter_ if you weren't able to be with someone who was your friend because they were several miles away. Just as long as you were _happy_.

Thinking this, Estel rested his head on his pillow, yawning. Being in this room, in this house, in this city, with his family and with things to remember his friends by... that was what made him happy...

It was a few hours later when Elrond opened the door to check on his adopted son and found him lying on the bed, a smile on his face and a bright blue stone in his hand. The Elf Lord approached the sleeping boy and pulled the blankets over him, tucking him in gently.

"Goodnight Estel," he said softly. He turned, blowing out the candle on the bedside table as he did, which sent the room into a bluish twilight. Elrond crossed the room and exited from the door, closing it quietly behind him.

Estel opened one eye sleepily and looked over at the door. Even though Elrond had been as gentle as possible, the slight weight of the blanket on him had woken him slightly.

"Goodnight Ada..."

**_THE END_**

**:-) I quite enjoyed writing that... please tell me what you think!**

**And here's the preview of the next story! The next one is just a 1 chapter fic, but it's vital to the series. It's also quite sad, so there's a tissue warning for you sentimental readers out there, lol! However, to lessen the wait for you all whilst I'm on holiday, I'll be uploading it to the site straight after I've uploaded this chapter, so look out for it:-) Here's the preview...**

**Is This Goodbye?**

It was a few minutes later as Estel stormed out of the main corridors and down the flight of steps leading towards the stables when he heard a voice calling him.

"Estel!"

The young man shut his eyes and sighed, exasperated. He had hoped to leave without anyone noticing. That way, he wouldn't cause them trouble when he went. Of course he had forgotten about Legolas. The twins had left him in peace, knowing he wanted his own space, and Lord Elrond had stayed inside the room where he had broken the news to his foster son.

He should have remembered that he had blurted everything out to his friend in the gardens, but he was upset and had merely forgotten.

The Elf caught up with him, chest heaving after running so hard. "Please Estel, just wait; I want to talk to you about this-"

"No Legolas," said Estel simply. "No... I have to leave."

He climbed up into the saddle, and Legolas suddenly caught a fleeting glimpse of the Ranger that Estel, or Aragorn as he was known from here onwards, would become.

**That's all the preview you're getting, lol! It took me ages to decide on which bit to show you; there's lots of different parts which would've made great previews... this one reveals the least of the story though, so I thought this one would be best... don't forget to tell me what you think of it!**

**_x_****_ Star-Stallion x_**

**P.S: By the way, I thought it fair to tell everyone about this... concerning my fanfics. I've been thinking, and I believe I have too many WIPs at the one time. The ones that cause me the most trouble are the NON-Nilmé Series ones. So, I'm thinking about finishing up the 5 non-series fics I've got going and then just concentrate on the series. I enjoy writing it more, and the non-series ones are usually barely formed ideas I get then begin to write. **

**Sadly, this means that halfway through, I get chronic writer's block; the exceptions of these 5 being 'Return to Us the Sun' and 'The Troubles with Elven Harmonicas'. Those 2 are just so massive that I'm just trying to plough through the writing stage, even if I do enjoy doing it. **

**So, I'm just saying this because I want opinions; do you mind me only concentrating on the series or would you like to see more non-series fics in the future? There probably will be some, just not as frequently as there is now... opinions would be greatly valued! ;-)**


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